Will of the Force
by Rian Sage
Summary: A between the scenes look at a journey of discovery. K1 walkthru where the past meets the present. FemRevan
1. Nar Shaddaa

**Disclaimer: Everything in the GFFA belongs to Lucas. Other rights here belong to Bioware. I just tell stories for free.**

**

* * *

Nar Shaddaa – Last Night in Dock for the_ Endar Spire_**

It was in the North City Cantina that Carth Onasi met with his old friend, Sato. They hadn't seen each other in a long time. With the war going on, it was hard to say when or if he'd see him again. The cantina wasn't the nicest place he'd been to, but it served its purpose… alcohol, music, gambling, and dancing girls.

"Any one of them?" Carth asked skeptically.

"Any one," his friend replied smugly.

Carth took an inventory of the other patrons before he spotted a striking woman on the other side of the bar talking to a very intoxicated Twi'lek. She had shoulder length black hair with beautiful green eyes. Carth nodded towards her and announced, "That one."

Sato looked in the direction Carth had indicated. He recoiled slightly and stated, "Except that one."

Carth smirked. He knew Sato was all talk when it came to the ladies. The other pilot had been willing to wager he could charm any girl in the place. "What do you mean 'except that one?' You said 'any one.'"

Sato shook his head and explained, "Carth, this is Nar Shaddaa. A women like that, brave enough to be in a place like this… Well, I've been around enough to know to stay away from _that_ one!"

Carth lifted his glass to take a drink while shaking his head. "Whatever you say."

Sato raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You don't believe me?" He motioned towards the woman and said, "Look now. There's some crazy fool willing to prove my point."

Indeed, there was some guy trying to get her attention by standing on the side opposite the Twi'lek. She waved him off and continued with her drink. He boldly grabbed her arm above the elbow. She snapped it back viciously from him and said a few choice words before returning to her drink. Apparently not one to give up easily, he grabbed her arm again. _This guy doesn't give up, _Carth thought. The Captain began to rise from his seat, but Sato put a hand on Carth's arm to stop the motion. Carth was about to object just as she swung back her elbow and slammed the offending man square in the jaw, knocking him back a few steps.

The man took a moment to process what had happened. His face contorted into anger and he charged at her. But she was ready and took the momentum to slam his head onto the bar. He fell to the ground. The man propped himself on his elbows and took a quick look around. He appeared about to get up when she pulled out her vibro-blade and held the tip to his throat while digging the heel of her boot into his hand. Carth tried to listen, but was unable to hear what she said. Whatever it was, the man nodded his head and scurried away when she released him. Then she returned to her drink and her conversation like nothing happened.

"See what I mean?" Sato said with a cocked eyebrow.

The night continued on and Carth enjoyed exchanging stories with his one-time comrade. He couldn't help but to occasionally steal a glance at the obviously deadly woman. She seemed to be very interested in whatever the Twi'lek had to say. Their manner with each other seemed very businesslike and Carth couldn't help but wonder what type of business she was in. Eventually, the Twi'lek seemed to have had enough to drink for he fell backwards off his stool. The woman merely glanced down at the fallen man and shrugged before continuing on with her drink.

A little while later, Carth noticed the bartender place a shot in front of her. She looked at the server questioningly. The man pointed to the corner of the bar. Carth leaned forward to look in the direction the bartender indicated. The man in the corner was an unsightly human with more than one missing tooth. The man gave her a hungry look with a wink. _Yeah, like he has a chance_. She refused the drink. _Good for her_, Carth thought.

* * *

Marin Sage sat at the bar nursing her ale. She was rather disgusted with the place she found herself in. _What a hell hole. I've already had to fight off some stinkin' scumbag who thought he could have his way with me_. To top it off, the Twi'lek giving her the details on the Republic gig she had lined up, just passed out. _What time did he say I had to meet the transport?_

The bartender approached and set a shot of some clear liquid in front of her. "What's this?"

"Firewater. From that guy." The server pointed to a nasty looking guy at the corner of the bar. He was human, but Sage had seen Gamorreans that were more attractive. The man gave her a rather suggestive look and she had to fight down the bile that had just formed in that back of her throat. _Firewater? What's with it when guys buy you some crazy shot? Do I look like I'm drinking firewater?_

She pushed the glass back towards the bartender. "Give it to the flyboy in the orange jacket. Make sure to tell him that guy down there bought it for him." She smiled smugly to herself. _I'll teach him not to stare._

* * *

The bartender plopped a shot down in front of Carth. The pilot hadn't ordered anything and gave the server a questioning look. The other man pointed to the missing tooth guy. Carth's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he realized he'd been caught with his sneaking glances. He let out a small chuckle. _Cute_.

He said to the bartender, "Give her another of whatever she's having."

Carth watched as a drink was set in front of the woman. She studied the drink a moment and smiled. She looked over at Carth and lifted her glass in a salute. Carth shared the unspoken toast with her before she walked away.

Moments later, Carth's throat felt like it was on fire. The drink had appeared mild at first, but the afterburn was a kicker. He decided quickly that he really didn't like the missing tooth guy. He wondered what the man was thinking giving a woman a shot like that. _I know what he was thinking, that no good son of a shutta_. Carth switched to ale to help calm his inflamed palate.

It wasn't long after when Carth and Sato headed over to check out the dancers. Two songs played before a few soldiers from the _Endar Spire_ stumbled in. "Those your guys Onasi?" Sato asked.

"Yep," Carth replied, not taking his eyes off the dancers.

"Looking for trouble, no doubt," Sato commented.

"No doubt," Carth agreed.

After another song, Carth was apparently way too interested in the purple Twi'lek dancing in front of him to hear all the commotion.

"Hey Onasi, I think your guys found their trouble." Sato announced.

Carth brushed it off, saying, "They're soldiers. They can hold their own."

"Uh, I think you might want to check this out." Sato added warily.

* * *

After sharing a drink with the flyboy, Sage headed back to the sabacc tables she had seen earlier. She decided she could use a few extra credits. After a few hands of what seemed to be too easy, she took a break.

Her distaste for the establishment only grew after one trip to the fresher. She decided it was about the worst she'd seen. _Haven't they heard of cleaning droids in this place? _It was no fun trying the balancing act after four - or maybe it was five - Alderaanian ales.

As she walked away from the offensive fresher, she heard a voice from her left. "What do we have here?" A hand grabbed her arm as she attempted to push her way through the crowd. Unfortunately for the owner of the hand, Sage wasn't feeling all that friendly at the moment.

* * *

By the time Carth arrived on the scene, one soldier was already down with an apparent broken nose. There she stood in the middle of the other three with fire and determination in her eyes. Those boys had no idea what they'd gotten themselves into. _It's a damn good thing she hasn't pulled her blade yet_, Carth thought with a bit of relief. He made a move to step in when Ensign Zaft attempted to get in her face. _Two down_.

Carth had to act quickly if he was going to save his men. "Now just wait one minute." He entered the ring with his hands up in surrender. Her eyes darted around like a caged animal. "I think we can probably work this out without anyone else getting hurt," Carth said.

The woman glanced quickly at him. "Stay out of this flyboy, this isn't your fight," she snapped.

He moved to stand directly in front of her. "These are my men, and I have to look out for their well being. You, sister, are detrimental to their well being. So I will collect my men and gladly move them along."

Carth waited apprehensively for her response. She glared at him with a look that would make most men wither away. But he stood his ground. They stood like that for a moment until she straightened up and lifted her chin. She gave Carth a long, appraising look before she returned to the bar.

Carth watched her dignified retreat and was both surprised and pleased with the peaceful ending. He looked at the soldiers who remained standing. "You two, grab your _fallen comrades,_ we're heading back." _So much for the dancers._


	2. Departure

_**Endar Spire**_** – 0730 at the Nar Shaddaa Space Dock**

Carth Onasi did not wake up well this morning. His head throbbed, his eyes burned, and the temperature controls in his refresher unit were screwed up again. _I know that droid isn't fixing it right_. He decided to attempt fixing it himself once in hyperspace.

The _Endar Spire_ was scheduled for departure from space dock at 0900. Carth decided on a quick cup of caf prior to his briefing, recalling just how much Jedi gave him headaches… especially this one.

Outside the briefing room, he spotted Ensign Zaft. Carth asked, "How's that eye, Ensign?"

Zaft winced, holding his side, and said, "Better than my ribs, Captain."

Carth recalled just how much of a beating the Ensign took the night before. "Maybe you should head to the medbay to get that checked out."

"Aye, sir," Zaft replied in a defeated tone.

"What happened to him?" Bastila's voice drifted to him as she approached.

Carth just shook his head. "The boys messed with the wrong woman last night."

Bastila looked thoughtful and replied with a curious, "Hmm," then quickly said, "Shall we begin?"

The briefing proceeded with many "special" requests from the Jedi, to Carth's continued frustration.

"Let me get this right… you want to turn the starboard rec room into a meditation chamber?" he asked warily.

"Yes," was her pompous as ever reply.

Carth continued in a flat tone, "…and you want to shut down the training facility for Jedi training two hours every day?"

"Yes."

Carth narrowed his eyes. "Can't the Jedi train with the rest of the crew?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. The Jedi require a peaceful environment while training. We believe non-Force users in the facility will only serve as a distraction."

One of the ensigns assigned to assisting the Jedi stepped in and whispered something in Bastila's ear. Carth noticed a flinch in her otherwise serene façade as she clenched her jaw. She murmured something to one of the other Jedi who immediately left the room with the ensign in tow.

The meeting continued with even more ridiculous requests… including restricting personnel access in the map room. Carth objected, "Now some of the soldiers are attempting to further their navigational skills. It will be necessary for them to access the map room if they have any hope of passing their exams."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," she responded.

"WON'T BE POSSIBLE? Listen, sister, you can't just come barging on this ship and expect all these people to put their lives and careers on hold at the whim of the Jedi," he spat.

Bastila seemed nonplussed by his outburst. "You seem to be forgetting who the commanding officer is, Captain. The High Command and the Jedi Council have both agreed to my command of this vessel. Now, if that will be all…"

Carth fumed, knowing it was within her right by his given orders to accommodate her. The Jedi who'd left only moments before, returned to speak with Bastila again in quiet tones. Bastila nodded and addressed Carth, "Captain, it seems that my newest advisor is awaiting transport on the surface in landing bay 41."

Carth shook his head. "The last transport left the surface an hour ago."

"Well then you'll have to send another," she replied tersely.

"If I send another transport, it will delay our departure two hours!" he said through gritted teeth.

She made no response… just gave him an infuriatingly calm look. _I hate Jedi_. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple, willing the headache to go away. _I know it was the firewater… damn missing tooth guy._

He headed over to the comm unit and typed the command for the hangar. "Lieutenant Panos, I need you to take a shuttle down to the surface and pick up the Jedi advisor in landing bay 41… make it quick Lieutenant."

"Aye, Captain," came the reply.

"Onasi out." He turned to face Bastila and said, "I think we're done for now." He really couldn't handle any more _requests_ just then.

* * *

**Nar Shaddaa Landing Bay 41**

_Well this is starting out good_, Sage thought sarcastically as she leaned up against a bench in the grimy landing bay. She would have sworn the Twilek at the cantina said to meet the transport at 0730. She shrugged it off, at least she didn't miss it completely. She watched as the Republic shuttle entered the landing bay and settled to a near-perfect stop. The ramp opened and a moment later, a Republic soldier stepped out and took a look around. Sage hoisted her bag to her shoulder and walked towards him. The soldier wasn't bad looking in the least. He had a medium build with blond hair and blue eyes.

He spotted her and a sly smile formed on his face as his eyes swept up and down to take in her figure. She snorted to herself.

"You must be the advisor," he stated.

"I am," she said as she returned his smile.

He held out his hand and introduced himself, "Lieutenant Nico Panos, at your service."

She shook his hand and replied, "Sage, Marin Sage."

He took her bag and motioned towards the shuttle ramp with a flourish. "Your escort awaits."

Sage walked onto the shuttle, keenly aware of the pilots eyes upon her ass. She looked over her shoulder to catch him… he just lifted an eyebrow and grinned. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and muttered, "Pilots."

Panos insisted she take co-pilots seat as long as she didn't tell the captain. On route, he occasionally showed her a maneuver or two, almost throwing her out of her seat. Sage observed he was very chatty and _very_ flirtatious. _Girl in every port, no doubt._

The shuttle made its approach to the _Endar Spire. _"That's our ship?" she said disbelieving.

Panos nodded.

"No wonder the Sith are kicking your asses," Sage muttered under her breath.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Nice, I hope she's fast." _For all of our sakes_. Suddenly, Sage wasn't too sure about the life decision she'd made. The Republic was losing the war, and now she was about to board one of their ships. _I thought of that, didn't I?_ She had, but the impact hadn't seemed so dyer until faced with the sight of her vessel.

The lieutenant carried her bags off the shuttle. He motioned over to a man standing next to a console and said, "Ensign Zaft will show you to your quarters." He handed her the bag and with a sly smile added, "I do hope to see you later."

Sage returned his smile. "Thank you for your assistance, Lieutenant. You've been most helpful."

"Please, call me Nico," he said as he walked away. Sage took a moment to appreciate his hind attributes.

She approached the console and almost stopped short. _Uh-oh_. She recognized the man immediately from her fight the night before. There really was no easy way around it. She cleared her throat and said, "Ensign Zaft, I presume?"

The soldier turned around and froze, one eye wide, the other swollen. Sage forced a smile. "I was told you would be able to show me to my quarters."

He looked a little nervous and stuttered, "Uh… uh, sure… uh, let me check your assignment… what's your name?" He went to his console.

"Sage, Marin Sage."

After finding her information, he handed her a datapad and said, "This has all the information on where you're to report and what time. It also has a map of the ship and details on the amenities. I'll show you to your quarters now."

He winced when he lifted her bag. _Must be that kick to the ribs_, she thought with a smirk. But she let him suffer… after all, he'd started it. Number one rule of combat, 'Know your opponent.' Sage paused a moment to try to recall where she'd heard that from.

They walked towards her assigned quarters in total silence. It seemed as if Zaft was walking as fast as he could. When they got to Sage's quarters, he set her bag down and stated, "Ensign Ulgo is your bunk mate. You probably won't see much of him since you're on separate shifts." He turned to leave.

Sage blinked. "Wait a minute… my bunk mate is a guy?"

Zaft hesitated and then nodded his head before making his fast departure.

Sage entered her new quarters. It was actually a lot more spacious than she thought it would be. She decided quickly that Ensign Ulgo was a very neat person. She found an empty footlocker and set her bag on it. She sat down at a small table to look at the datapad. Her instructions were to report to the Jedi Bastila Shan at 1300 in the map room. Sage decided to check out the ship and find something to eat before then.

It was 1320 when Sage arrived at the map room. She spotted a female Jedi and approached her. "Excuse me, I'm to meet with Bastila Shan."

The Jedi studied her a moment before asking, "You're the new advisor?"

"Yes."

She turned her back to Sage and walked over to a console. "You were supposed to be here at 1300. Bastila has already gone."

"It's a big ship, I got lost," Sage lied.

The Jedi handed her a datapad and said, "You're to complete these translations and return them here at 0800 tomorrow." Without another word, the Jedi left.

Sage took the chance to observe her surroundings. It was a very nice map room. In fact, it was about the only thing on the ship that she'd been impressed with so far. She approached the central display and pressed a button to activate the interactive star chart. A security droid approached her before the sector even propagated on the map. In a tinny voice, the droid stated, "Subject is not permitted access to this facility without authorized personnel. Request departure immediately."

Sage scoffed. Of course she wasn't allowed in there. She was only there to advise them on hyperspace routes she'd uncovered… accidentally uncovered apparently, but hey, they didn't need to know about that. She decided maybe a workout was a good idea. She recalled seeing a training facility not far from her present location. _Maybe Ensign Zaft will be up for a sparring session_, she thought amusedly.

When she reached the training room, another security droid announced, "Republic personnel are not permitted in the training room between 1400 and 1600 hours. Please return at a later time."

_This day sucks._

* * *

As he walked down the corridor from the bridge, Carth still scowled over the fact they had to leave two hours later. _Just who do they think they are, anyway? Miss high and mighty Jedi_. He hoped she would make good use of herself. With the route they were taking, they might need that battle meditation of hers. 

Lieutenant Panos approached and pleaded, "Captain, they can't shut down the starboard rec room! Where are we going to hold tonight's sabacc game?"

Carth shook his head. "Sorry, lieutenant, nothing I can do. By the way, thanks for taking that shuttle down to pick up the advisor."

"Oh no, thank _you_ for selecting me for the job." By the looks of the grin on Panos' face, Carth decided the advisor must have been a woman. Panos continued, "If I find a spot for the game, will you be joining us?"

"Too many reports to log tonight, but maybe next time," Carth replied with sincere regret.

"Sure thing, see ya Captain," Panos said as he strode off.

Carth returned to his quarters to check messages and start his reports. There was one message:

_Secondary synthesizer in mess malfunctioning. Technician unable to repair without replacement parts. Calculation of nearest location of necessary parts: Taris. Request route change._

Carth sighed, grudgingly he decided he'd have to go tell the Jedi. He huffed when he thought of what she'd say, _I'm afraid that's not possible. Jedi have techniques to sustain themselves for weeks without sustenance. The rest of the crew is inconsequential_.

When Carth reached the training room to speak with Bastila, the security droid stated, "Republic personnel are not permitted in the training room between 1400 and 1600 hours. Please return at a later time."

_This day sucks._


	3. Encounters

Sage didn't have any problem making it on time to deliver the translations to the Jedi. Ensign Ulgo doesn't maneuver very well in the dark. So when he came in at 0530, it was a little difficult to get back to sleep.

She stepped into the fresher for a sonic shower, thinking of the previous day's events. She actually was able to meet a few members of the crew. Lieutenant Panos was obliging as ever at dinner and insisted she join him for their sabacc game. She told him she'd be there just to get him to stop bugging her. However, when she found out the game was in his quarters, she decided against it.

She also met Ensign Tia Brunine. She was a fairly attractive woman with long blond hair and brown eyes. Sage had noticed a few comments that one of the male members of the crew made to the ensign.

Sage couldn't help it. She sat next to the younger woman and stated, "You know, they'll keep it up if you don't do something about it."

The ensign gave her a blank look and asked, "What would you suggest I do?"

"Knock him out," Sage said with a snort.

The Ensign gave her an incredulous look. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll get written up, that's why!" the soldier spat.

Sage shrugged. "It would be worth it to me."

The Ensign furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

Sage extended her hand and smiled. "My name's Sage. I'm an advisor for the Jedi."

The other woman shook her hand and responded, "I'm Tia, lowly grunt of the Republic." She paused and then asked, "So is that what you do?"

"What's that?"

"Knock them out."

Sage thought for a moment on how to respond. "Let's just say they're usually sorry."

Tia said impishly, "I wouldn't even know what to do."

"Maybe I could show you," Sage suggested.

Tia raised an eyebrow. "You'd teach me how to fight?"

Sage crinkled her nose. "You mean the Republic never taught you how to fight?"

Tia shook her head. "Basic level blaster training is all that's required for technicians."

"What if you don't have your blaster?" Sage asked.

"Well then I guess I'm screwed," Tia chuckled.

"Meet me at the training facility at 1900 tomorrow." Sage instructed. Tia nodded in agreement.

Sage was curious to meet this Bastila Shan. The way everyone talked, she was the key to winning the war. _So why is she on _this_ ship?_

She entered the map room hoping to spend more time in it than the day before. She approached a group of people in hideous brown robes. "Excuse me, I'm here to see Bastila Shan."

"I'm Bastila Shan." A young woman stepped forward. She had blue eyes with her brown hair pulled into two little braids on the sides. She looked like a little kid. _She's the key to victory?_

"I'm Marin Sage. I was told to report to you with these translations this morning." Sage handed her the datapad.

Bastila walked over to the table and retrieved another datapad. "Have these to me same time tomorrow." She turned to walk back over to the group.

"Aren't we going to discuss the hyperspace routes I've discovered?" Sage asked.

Bastila stated, "Your 'findings' have been documented well enough. We'll let you know if we have any questions. Now, is there anything else?"

"Uh… no."

"Then I suggest you move on." She turned and walked away.

Sage blinked. She slowly turned and walked back out to the corridor. _This is getting ridiculous._

She decided to go to the mess and get something to eat. Once at her table she looked over the assignment she received. She grew more irritated. _What is this crap? A droid could do this. This is _not_ what I had in mind. If _thi_s is what I'm going to be doing, I'm going to completely freak out! …and that Jedi, who does she think she is anyway?_

After eating, she decided to head to the records center to work on her assignment. She was the only one in there other than an information droid. After a few hours, she completed her assignment and decided to check the computer for the latest holonews. She entered the passcode she was given.

_Access Denied_

She tried again.

_Access Denied_

She called over the information droid for assistance.

The droids only response was, "My functions do not include system administration."

She rubbed her hands over her face. _Figures._

She left the records center looking over her ship information pad to see if there was anything about gaining holonet access. She wasn't paying attention until she ran into something… or someone. Datapads flew everywhere. She immediately bent down to help retrieve them.

A male voice said, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was… You… What are _you_ doing here?"

* * *

Carth was walking through the corridor towards his quarters with a load of datapads. The day had been fairly uneventful. He had an 0900 briefing with the Jedi to discuss the impact of the course change. It was decided that since Taris did not have a strong Republic presence, then only a small team would be sent to the surface to retrieve the necessary parts. Little was known about any signs of Sith influence. Republic intelligence had been trying to gather more information about Sith movements in the Outer Rim. However, with Revan's demise, there'd been a sharp change in tactics under Malak's rule. When Revan made a move, it was very well calculated and subtle with a large effect. Malak was not subtle.

Carth rounded a corner just short of his quarters when he collided with someone and dropped all his datapads. He immediately started to apologize, then realized who it was. He was shocked to see _her_. He watched as she bent down to retrieve the datapads. She had her hair pulled back in a sloppy knot. She was wearing black pants, black boots, and a green tunic. It was a sharp contrast to the Republic grey and the Jedi brown he had been seeing. He could not figure out why this ass-kicking cantina woman was onboard the _Endar Spire_.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked.

The woman looked up and took a long assessing look of _all_ of him. He was instantly drawn to green eyes that were the first thing he'd noticed the night he first saw her. Finally, realization must have set in. She said, "The cantina, right?"

"Right, but… what are you doing _here_, on this ship?" he inquired, puzzled.

"I've been assigned as an advisor to the Jedi," she replied.

It took a second for him to process what she'd said. Then his eyes narrowed. With a rising voice he said, "You're the reason our departure was delayed two hours?!"

She snorted, "Well, I don't know about that…I mean, two hours? I wasn't _that_ late. Besides, my contact told me 0730."

Carth stared and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You didn't arrive at the landing bay until 0800!"

She shrugged. "I got lost."

Forget green eyes, he was pissed. "Do you realize I had three hours more of reports to log for a late departure?" he stammered.

She replied with half a smile, "Look, I said I was sorry."

"No, you didn't!" he spat.

She looked away and said defiantly, "Yeah… well"

They stood there in tense silence.

_How can she be here? I wasn't supposed to see her again. This is uncomfortable… I should never have bought her that drink. Now she's going to think I'm after her or something… and I don't need that. She'd probably kill me first. I'm just going to have to avoid her._

"Can I have those back?" Carth asked, gesturing to the datapads she held in her hands.

She looked down at the pads and handed them back to him. They stood there a moment longer, neither apparently knowing what to say.

She shifted her weight and put a hand on her hip. "Am I dismissed or something?" she asked.

"Wha…oh, uh yes, of course," he stuttered. She turned and walked away. He watched her a moment before entering his quarters. _Definitely need to avoid that one._

* * *

Sage returned to her quarters and plopped down on her bunk.

_What a wonderful first impression I've made. I beat up two crewmembers and made us start late… nobody told me that. He didn't have to yell, geez _

_I have to find something to do before I go insane._

She decided to head to the port side rec area to see what was going on there. The rec area was a long room with several sets of tables and chairs at one end and a large open area at the other end. There was a group playing hoverball. Lieutenant Panos was part of that group.

Sage went over to the dispenser and selected some juice. She sat at one of the tables to watch the game. The lieutenant was actually fairly good. When there was a break in the game, he grabbed a towel and came over.

"Hey, I missed you last night. I thought you were coming for the game?" he said.

"I changed my mind," she stated with a shrug.

"We're going to have one here tomorrow night at 1930, if you're interested," he offered.

She tilted her head. He really wasn't bad looking and she had nothing better to do. "I just might do that."

He gave her a smile small. "Well I have to get cleaned up before dinner… maybe I'll see you later."

She waved him off and said, "See ya."

She had just enough time to grab some dinner and change before she was to meet Tia.

* * *

Carth decided to get a little target practice in before heading back to his quarters for the night. The training facility had plenty of exercise equipment, a blaster simulation range, a few practice droids, and a sparring ring. He was there for half an hour when _she_ walked in with Ensign Brunine.

She glanced over and gave him a slight smile before heading to the sparring ring. He finished up his session and glanced over at the ring before leaving. She seemed to be going through various self defense scenarios with Ensign Brunine.

_I'm not sure if that's a good thing._

* * *

Sage was showing Tia a few different techniques.

"The key is to strike quickly… as soon as you determine the threat. They won't expect an immediate reaction. Don't wait for them to make the first blow. If you don't strike first, at least be prepared for your opponents move."

"What if your opponent is a lot bigger than you," Tia asked.

Sage shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Brute force doesn't always win a fight. Several smaller blows are just as, if not more, effective than a few big ones. Just make sure they're landed in the right places."

Sage looked over to see the guy from earlier leaving. "Who's that?"

Tia responded by waggling her eyebrows. "That's Captain Onasi."

Sage gave a small chuckle at Tia's expression and continued with the exercise.

* * *

Ensign Ulgo was right on target… another early morning. It didn't start too good. The temperature controls in the fresher unit were malfunctioning. She decided fixing them would be a good thing to do that afternoon.

Once dressed, she went to retrieve her assignment. She looked on the table in the middle of the room, the shelf in the corner, under the bed… but couldn't find it. She stopped to think a moment.

"Sithspit!"

Ulgo grumbled something.

_Hopefully he's still in his quarters. I'm going to be late again._

She headed out towards the Captain's quarters. Unfortunately, he was already gone by the time she got there. Sage let out a groan as she rubbed her eyes. She proceeded on to the map room. When she entered, she walked towards Bastila trying to figure out how she was going to explain the loss of her assignment.

Before Sage could say anything, Bastila looked up and handed her another datapad. The Jedi said, "Your work has been very thorough, here's your next assignment."

Sage blinked. "What about yesterday's assignment."

Bastila waved it off. "Oh yes, the Captain told me that you had dropped it off earlier. I haven't had a moment to look over it yet."

Sage looked at her blankly, and responded distractedly, "Of course, thank you." She turned around and left.

_Hm… how about that_

* * *

Carth got up a little earlier than usual. He wanted to make sure to get the datapad to the map room before heading to the bridge. It seemed a better solution than knocking on the advisor's door at the late hour that he discovered he'd had it.

He was studying a star chart when Bastila and another Jedi walked in. He waited a while longer until he heard Bastila say, "Where is Marin Sage?"

The other Jedi replied, "Late again."

Bastila's mouth turned into a thin line.

Carth spoke up, "That wouldn't happen to be your advisor?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Bastila asked.

He handed her the datapad. "She dropped this off earlier."

Bastila looked rather surprised. "Oh… thank you."

Carth left for the bridge. _Well, I didn't completely lie, _he thought.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. He was able to finish up most everything he needed to before joining a group of guys for a sabacc game.

"So Panos, where is she?" Lieutenant Ranik asked.

Panos looked annoyed. He shifted in his seat and said, "She might not be coming."

"Just like she didn't come last time. I don't know, Panos, doesn't seem like she's interested," Ensign Wist added.

Panos defended himself, "Oh, just wait and see. She just needs to see a little of my charm and she'll be all mine."

"You're dreaming Panos," Ranik stated.

"No, you'll be dreaming while I'll be getting the real thing," Panos sneered.

"You care to put your credits where your mouth is?" Ranik challenged.

Panos scoffed, "Gladly."

"Oh, I want in on that," Wist said.

Panos looked to Carth and asked, "You in, Captain?"

Carth shook his head. "No, no, I think I'll stay out of this one. I don't even know who you're talking about."

"Well here she is right now," Panos said with a knowing grin. "Easy money."

Carth turned in his seat and had to stifle a laugh when he saw Marin Sage walk in.

_Maybe I should have gotten in on that bet._

* * *

Sage walked into the rec room. She was late, so the game had already started.

"Is it too late to join in?" she asked.

Panos pulled a seat to his right, and said, "Not at all, have a seat. We keep a stash of Juma Juice for the games. Would you like some?"

"Sure."

After a few hands, Sage noticed that although the lieutenant was cocky any other time, he was unbearable after a few drinks. He kept moving closer to her. She tried moving further every time. Pretty soon, Wist was going to think she was trying to read his cards… or sit in his lap.

When Panos got up to go to the fresher, Sage leaned over towards the Captain and said, "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" he asked.

"For covering for me this morning."

The Captain shook his head and said, "No need to thank me." He raised an eyebrow, "Although, I wouldn't have to cover for you if you were on time."

Sage snorted and moved back to her spot after moving Panos' chair back to the left a little.

When Panos returned, he immediately moved his chair back towards Sage. He draped his right arm on the back of her chair. He started telling her another story, but she wasn't really paying attention.

She was quickly getting annoyed with Panos. He was just a little too forward. There wasn't really anything about him that interested her. She looked over at the man two seats away from her. _The Captain, on the other hand..._

Sage took this time to take a good look at the Captain. He had chestnut brown hair with two strands that fell to his brow. His eyes were brown with golden flecks. They were very… soulful. _I bet he has some stories._ Carth looked up and met her eyes. She gave him a slight smile and looked back at her cards.

After a few more hands, Sage had had enough. It was quite obvious that Panos had a good hand. He may be good at a lot of things, but he had a horrible sabacc face. The others noticed too, because Ranik and Wist quickly folded.

_How much are the credits worth? I could fold now and continue on for who knows how long. Or, I could sacrifice the credits and be done with it._

"All-in," Sage announced.

Everyone stared at her and then Panos. He froze. He blinked a couple of times in disbelief. He took a deep breath and let it out forcefully… deflated. He swallowed hard.

"I fold."

Sage was stunned. She screamed in her head, _Noooooooooo._

* * *

Carth couldn't believe this hand. It was quite obvious Panos had a good hand… the shaking of his left leg was a dead giveaway. He expected everyone would fold. Even if it weren't for Panos, Carth's hand was fairly good as well. So the chances that Marin Sage had a winning hand as well were very slim.

_Why would she go all-in? Why would Panos fold, knowing he has the winning hand?_

Then it dawned on Carth, _Panos doesn't want Sage to leave the game. Well, I don't care if Sage leaves the game. After that look she just gave me… is it getting hot in here? Ranik's right, Panos is dreaming. I'm surprised she hasn't busted him for sitting too close to her._

"I call," Carth announced.

Panos visibly stiffened. Sage let out a whistle that sounded more like a breath of relief and threw in her cards. She said, "Captain called my bluff, later boys." She got up and walked out.

Panos stared at the cards… his irritation evident.

"I think you owe us some credits, Panos," Ranik said with a grin.

Panos ground out, "No thanks to Onasi!" He looked at Carth expectantly.

Carth said with a wry look, "What was I supposed to do, let her win?"

_I take the fall so you get the girl… I don't think so pal!_


	4. Attack

Carth headed back to his quarters for the night. He was feeling rather smug, having won the sabacc game. After Sage left, Panos was the next to go out. He had been sulking the whole time, so everyone was glad when he left. Carth felt a twinge of guilt for supposedly ruining the lieutenant's night. However, he was fairly certain things weren't going to turn out in the mans favor anyway.

Upon entering his quarters, Carth checked his messages. Most were messages from the bridge reporting on the ships status. There was one report that caught his eye regarding an altercation in the training room between Ensign Brunine and Ensign Cranton. It seems Cranton made a crude comment to Brunine and was rewarded with a crack in the jaw. No serious injuries were reported. Carth thought, _Brunine… which one is Brunine? _Realization hit… Carth groaned and shook his head_, I knew she was going to be a bad influence on her._ He decided that reports could wait until morning and slipped into his bunk.

* * *

Sage was sleeping when the ship shook hard, throwing her out of her bunk. 

"What the…" She sat up on the floor trying to get her bearings whilst rubbing her now sore shoulder. The alarms sounded as the emergency lighting illuminated. The door to the quarters opened and a tall man with blond hair rushed in. Sage scooted back looking warily at the intruder.

He started shouting, "The _Endar Spire_ is under attack, grab your weapon, we need to get out of here."

Sage looked up at him with narrowed eyes and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

He huffed, "I'm Ensign Trask Ulgo, your bunkmate. Now come on we have to go help Bastila."

Sage picked herself off the ground. Another blast hit the ship and she lurched forward trying to regain her balance. She headed over to her footlocker.

"Bastila? Why do we have to help her?" she asked while pulling out some clothes.

Ulgo stuttered, "Wh-What do you mean 'why?' She's our only hope…she's the greatest…we swore an oath…we have to save her." He was getting flustered.

Sage pulled on her tan pants with all the pockets, a white tunic, and a black vest. She started looking around the room and asked, "Have you seen my blade?"

"You mean you can't find your blade?" He searched the room frantically. "It's no wonder you can't find anything, your stuff is a mess."

Sage gave him a sideways glare. "It must have slid somewhere when the ship rocked."

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" he shouted.

Sage stopped and scowled, "Well I'm not going to be much help without a weapon, am I?"

He was beside himself. "Where's your blaster?"

Sage shook her head. "Oh no, I can't bring the blaster, I'm horrible with a blaster."

He stomped over to the footlocker and grabbed her blaster and slammed it into her hand. He growled, "It's the only choice you have, now let's go."

Sage poked a finger into his chest. "Listen, flat top, if I accidentally shoot you, it's all your fault, got that." She slung her bag over her shoulder, turned on her heel and headed for the door, slamming the door controls. Nothing happened. She hit the controls again. Still nothing.

Trask brushed past her and entered a code into the door. The door slid open and he explained, "The ship is under lockdown, we need the override code to get out of here."

Sage blinked. "So you mean if you didn't come get me, I would have been stuck in here because I don't have the codes?" She didn't hide her shock..

Trask responded, "That's why I had to come get you."

"Ok then, I'll really try not to accidentally shoot you."

Trask gave her a wary look before entering the corridor.

* * *

Carth awoke with a sharp jolt. He jumped to his comm unit and demanded, "Report!" 

"Captain, the _Endar Spire_ is under attack, repeat under attack," the reply came.

"Make sure Bastila gets to the bridge immediately. I'll be right there." Carth threw on a pair of pants, a tunic, his flight jacket, and boots. He holstered his blasters and ran for the bridge.

Upon entering the bridge he asked, "What's our status."

"Sir, we came out of hyperspace in the middle of a Sith armada. We took a direct hit to our shield generator. Shields are failing, we've lost life support in the cargo bay, and there have been massive explosions in the docking bay," Ensign Turcal answered.

"Initiate ship lock-down. Where's Bastila?"

"How can I help?" Bastila said as she entered the bridge.

The ship rocked again.

"Sir, starboard thrusters are failing," Turcal called out.

"How far are we to Taris? Can we get close enough to launch escape pods?" Carth asked.

"At this rate, it will be fifteen minutes until we're within ejection range," the ensign answered.

"Bastila, I suggest you make your way to the escape pods. All we can hope for at this point is that we can make it safely to Taris," Carth instructed.

Bastila looked away as if thinking for a moment. She looked back at Carth, "I need to be sure that my… colleagues are on their way."

Carth responded, "Ship protocol states that crewmembers are to report to their quarters during ship lock-down to retrieve their bunkmate." Then to the ensign, "Ensign Turcal, what's the status of the communications system?"

"Internal communications are still functioning," said the ensign.

"Bastila, you should be able to reach your team via comlink. I suggest you do that instead of going to search for them. We need to get you to the escape pods," Carth said.

Bastila looked nervous. For a Jedi, Carth knew that wasn't good. He briefly wondered how many battles she'd been in before. The ship was not going to make it. It was too late for her battle meditation. The concern was to get as many people off the ship as possible. Carth accessed the ship-wide communications frequency and ordered all hands to the escape pods.

"Captain, is there a computer I can use to track the location of my team?" Bastila asked.

"Come with me."

Carth led Bastila down the corridor toward the escape pods. Once they entered the control room, Carth led her to a terminal.

"Once you're done, go through those doors. I'll meet you near the blast doors towards the pods. You must hurry," he instructed.

Carths personal comlink beeped, "Onasi."

"Sir, an advance boarding party has just entered C deck," came the reply.

Carth closed his eyes for a moment, "How many minutes until we're in ejection range?"

"Two minutes, sir."

"Send a team to the pod bay to secure it. Don't stick around too long, Ensign."

"Aye, sir."

"Onasi out."

Carth headed to the pod bay.

* * *

Bastila tapped her security code into the console. 

_--Crew Locator--_

_Name:_

_Marin Sage_

_Location: C Deck Dormitory Corridor_

Having just heard of the Sith advance boarding party on that deck, Bastila let out a heavy sigh.

_Name:_

_Trask Ulgo_

_Location: C Deck Dormitory Corridor_

Bastila logged out and stepped away from the console, unsure of what action to take. She turned and was startled by someone standing only inches away. O_h, it's only a droid._

Bastila felt torn over what to do. Marin Sage was a very special member of the crew and so much would be lost if she didn't make it off the _Endar Spire_. Bastila knew she should go to her, but it was a long way to the dormitories. She sighed, shaking her head. There was no way she'd make it in time. The thought made her chest tighten. She closed her eyes, '_may the force be with you,'_ she sent.

With a heavy heart, she made her way to the escape pods. The captain led her to a pod. She had to unhook her lightsaber to strap herself in. She engaged the release mechanism. She leaned back… her hands shook… tears filled her eyes… _there is no emotion, there is peace…_

* * *

When Sage and Trask stepped into the corridor outside their quarters, blaster shots were flying everywhere. Sith and Republic troops were exchanging fire. 

"This must be the advance boarding party. FOR THE REPUBLIC!" Trask yelled as he started firing. _He must be on stims._

Sage ducked behind a corner and caught a Sith trooper within her sights. She steadied her hand, and fired. He went down. Sage let out a breath. She aimed for another. However, Trask had him down before she got her shot off.

They heard the captain order everyone to the escape pods. _Escapes pods? I knew this ship was trouble!_ She listened to Trask hero worship the captain.

"Whatever," she said with an eye roll as she started digging through the carnage.

"What are you doing?" Trask demanded.

"Thank the Force, I found one!" Sage exclaimed.

Trask watched as Sage eyed the edge of the blade she picked off of a Sith trooper. "I hope you're better with that thing than you are a blaster. I must have gotten five shots off before you released one."

Sage smirked, "I told you." She tossed him a sword she found on the other trooper.

"Ok, let's head to the bridge," said Trask.

Trask turned to start down the corridor.

'_May the force be with you'_

Sage stopped and looked around. _What the hell was that?_

"COME ON!" Trask yelled.

Sage hesitated, but then followed Trask to the bridge.

When the blast door opened, it revealed several Sith troopers throughout the bridge. _This can't be good._

* * *

Sage and Trask made light work of the troopers on the bridge. The atmosphere of the bridge forced Trask to switch to the sword she had given him. He wasn't nearly as comfortable with the blade, but he held his own against two troopers while she took out the rest. 

She stepped over fallen soldiers to observe the battle outside the ship. She easily recognized the futility of her own ship's defenses. "We don't have much time," she said in a low voice.

"You're hurt?" Trask asked.

"No."

"There's blood --" he started.

"It's not mine, which way?"

"Through that door." Trask motioned to the door on the left. He studied her a moment, "You really are good with that blade." She nodded.

Sage paused to observe what appeared to be Ensign Wist hunched over his console. She took one more look around and studied the blood soaked clothes she was wearing. She dried her hands on her pants and left the bridge.

* * *

Carth assisted all the crewmembers that made it to the escape pods. He was taken back when he saw Bastila. He thought a Jedi would show a bit more calm, but she was clearly shaken. 

There were only two pods left. Ensign Turcal was in the pod bay waiting for others to arrive. Carth checked the console to find life signs of any remaining crewmembers.

_--Jedi Ayla Brant--_

_--Ensign Trask Ulgo--_

_--Marin Sage--_

"Sage," he whispered.

He tapped into the commands to bring up a physical locator map. "They're close."

He observed that there were still quite a few enemy life signs between here and there. The ship rocked with another explosion and the Jedi and an enemy life sign blinked out. "Damn."

He noticed no less than five enemy indicators moving in his direction. He rushed over to the blast door and sealed it with his command code. "I hope that holds them."

He returned to the console to monitor the survivors' progress. He noticed that they split up. "Ulgo, what are you doing?" He assumed the ensign had engaged an enemy… Ulgo's locator blinked out. Carth let out a deep sigh.

He turned to Turcal and said, "You're clear to go Ensign."

"Aye, si –" Obviously the ensign didn't have to be told twice… he was away.

Carth took a deep breath and whispered, "Come on Sage, it's just you and me."

* * *

Sage was alone now. An explosion blew out a power conduit next to the Jedi Sage had seen in the map room. When they continued on, they ran into a dark Jedi. He ignited his lightsaber when they entered the next room. Sage was stunned with a strange sensation that coursed through her body. The next thing she knew, Trask ran towards the dark Jedi to hold him off. Sage ran to help, but the blast door shut. She tried furiously to get through to no avail. "Damnit, Trask!" 

She walked over to a footlocker to find a security spike. Nothing. Her comlink beeped. "Sage," she answered.

"Sage, it's Carth Onasi. I'm monitoring you on the internal sensors… you're the last crew member alive," he responded

"Trask?"

Silence. She felt a wrench in her gut.

"How much further do I have to go?" she asked.

"It's not far… the problem is there are a lot of Sith troops in the way. I suggest you activate your stealth belt to get to the control room… it's through the door on the left and then down the left corridor. There are at least three troops in the way," he instructed.

"I don't have my stealth belt," was her reply.

"Didn't they issue you one?" he asked

"Yeah, but I was kind of in a hurry when I left," she said sarcastically. "Don't worry, I'll handle it. Sage out."

She slid down the next corridor, trying to get as close to the trooper ahead without him noticing. When he did notice her, she was too close for him to use his blaster. She struck him down before he had a chance to grab his blade.

She approached the control room. She dug through her bag to find a frag grenade she picked off one of the soldiers "Nobody should notice one more explosion." She hit the door controls and threw the grenade in. After the explosion, she ran to attack one of the guards before the other had a chance to get back up. She quickly ran him through with her blade and jumped up on the center console to begin her assault on the other.

When he was down, she activated the computer console and checked the security cameras. There were six troopers on the other side of the door. She looked around for more options when she saw a deactivated droid. She accessed the droid to reconnect some wires and then programmed him to go into attack mode. Her comlink beeped again.

"There are several troops on the other side of that door you're standing at. You can't risk trying to take them all yourself," he warned.

"I'm two steps ahead of you Onasi," she replied.

* * *

Carth's lips twitched into a half smile at her comment. He watched as the enemy indicators in the next room blinked out. Another explosion rocked the ship. He ran to the blast door and entered his command code just as Sage approached. 

Her relief was evident by the expression on her face. "Finally," she breathed.

Carth looked at the woman before him. Her hair was wet with probably sweat and blood. Her face and vest had red splattered on them. The sleeves to her tunic were completely red with more blood. He searched for injuries, but only saw a gash in her right thigh.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sage looked down at the state of her attire. She then gave him a sad look and shook her head. He let out a mournful sigh, grabbed her hand, and led her to the last pod.

"This thing wasn't built for two, but we should be able to squeeze in. I'll get in first and you can sit in front of me," he instructed.

Carth entered the pod and strapped himself in. He held out his hand and guided Sage to sit in between his legs. She pulled the hatch closed.

"The harness is not big enough for both of us, so I'm going to have to hold on to you," he said. She nodded in agreement.

He wrapped his arms around her slender waist. She engaged the release mechanism and leaned back against his chest, gripping the handles to her side.

"Are you sure you're all right," he murmured in her ear.

She turned her head and rested it on his shoulder. "Yes," she whispered.

Together, the two watched the _Endar Spire_ explode as they propelled away from the doomed vessel.


	5. Landing

Sorry, this is a long one.

* * *

The pod entered into the Taris atmosphere and landed rather roughly. It slid to a halt, nearly falling off the elevated street. Carth attempted to hold on to Sage, but the rolling after the impact jarred her loose. Her head slammed into the console, rendering her unconscious. Carth was dazed after their landing. It took a moment for him to get his bearings. He was relatively unharmed. Sage was slumped over his right leg.

"Sage," he prodded. She didn't respond. He pulled her back towards him to assess her injuries. The most obvious was the fresh blood coming from the right side of her forehead.

_Oh no, Sage._

He checked her pulse and let out a sigh of relief. He knew he had to get her out of there fast. He quickly found a medkit in his bag and applied a bandage to her head to stop the bleeding. It would have to do until they could get to a safer spot. It was the middle of night when they landed, so he hoped it had gone unnoticed.

He was able to extricate himself and Sage from the pod and retreated to an alley. He set her down on the ground to survey the area and plot their next move. There was an old apartment building a block away. He was able to reach a back door of it through the alley, escaping any on lookers noticing a man carrying a bloodied woman.

He found an apartment that appeared to be abandoned. He laid Sage on a small couch while he explored the room more thoroughly; making sure it was truly abandoned. There was a common area with the small couch, chair and two tables. A sleeping chamber was off to the right with two beds and a 'fresher. To the left was a small kitchenette. He checked the security of the door to be sure they wouldn't get any unwelcome guests.

He placed his jacket on the chair and retrieved some towels from the fresher and tended to Sage. He applied a cool towel to her face.

"Sage," he said while tapping her face. Still no response. _Great, now what?_

He was able to remove most of the blood from her face so that he could clean her injury. He found a bacta patch that he was able to apply to assist in the healing. Next he observed the gash in her thigh. It had already begun to clot. He hesitated before ripping her pants to get better access and treated the injury.

He did a thorough scan to see if he could find any more. Most of the blood appeared to be someone elses. He removed her vest and boots and carried her to one of the beds in the sleeping chamber.

He went into the common area, checked the door security, and started pacing about.

_Ok, what's the situation? We're on Taris. We have a seemingly secure place to hide out in for now. It's in the middle of the night. She's hurt. I'm exhausted._

He sighed and sat down on the couch. He put his face in his hands and closed his eyes.

_I'm too tired to think The important thing is that we're safe for now. That will have to do until morning._

He removed his boots and contemplated where to sleep. He looked towards the sleeping chamber.

_In there? In the same room as her? (sigh) I don't know. This couch is a little small…and what if something happens to her…_

He got up and checked the door security once again. He then moved to the other room and laid down on the unoccupied bed. He watched the reflection of passing speeder lights on the walls until he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

He was sleeping for a couple of hours when he was awakened by Sage calling out, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…please forgive me…please…" 

_She's dreaming._ He got out of bed and moved over to hers. "Sage, it's ok, it's just a dream," he said as he placed a hesitant hand on her wrist.

She whispered, "please," and then relaxed.

Carth withdrew his hand. He studied her a moment. _It was just a dream._ He checked his chrono. _I could really use some caf._

He walked out to the kitchenette and searched through the cabinets for anything. All he found was a few dust covered dishes and cups. He washed out a cup and filled it with water. He found his bag and dug out two ration bars. He eyed his water carefully. _I hope it's safe._

After "breakfast," he went to check on Sage. Her head injury didn't look good. It was bruised and swollen. The gash in her leg was closing up and healing well. _I'm going to have to go for supplies._ He retrieved his bag from the common room and went to the fresher for a shower.

When he was done, he decided that he'd have to leave the apartment in search of needed supplies. He glanced over at Sage. _What if she wakes up while I'm gone? The last thing I need is for her to be wandering around Taris with blood all over her clothes! I have to find some clothes._ With that he grabbed his jacket. _Oh no! There's blood on my jacket!_ He set it back down and left the apartment, making sure it was very secure on the way out.

* * *

He spent the day scrounging up whatever he could fine. He found another abandoned apartment that had some old clothes and a few things left in the freeze dry unit. He took everything he could. He returned to the apartment once to make sure Sage was still "out" and to retrieve a few swords he thought he could sell for extra credits. He came across them when he peaked into Sage's bag to see why it was so heavy. "She has a whole arsenal in here." He sold three swords and a vibroblade to a merchant that he ran into. They didn't bring much, but it was something. They were definitely going to need more food. 

He returned to the apartment that evening for another ration bar meal. He checked on Sage. _She's burning up._ He went to the fresher and got a cold damp towel. When he touched it to her face her body tensed and her eyes shot open. Carth jumped back, hand to his holster. She stared at him with cold eyes. Before he had a chance to say anything, she closed her eyes and went limp. He let out the breath he was holding.

He ran his hands through his hair. _She's going to need a doctor. It's too late now, I'll have to find one tomorrow. _He cautiously leaned down to pat her face and neck with the cool towel. He retrieved a medpac he had seen in her bag and changed her bacta patch.

He readied himself for bed and laid down for some much needed sleep.

* * *

He woke up several times during the night to Sage thrashing around on her bed, mumbling incoherently. At one point, he shot clean out of his bed when he heard her scream, "NOOOOO! YOU BASTARD!" His heart was pounding. She whimpered, "It wasn't supposed to be this way…forgive me." 

Carth's natural instincts kicked in. _'Forgive me?' For what? Maybe these aren't just dreams. What would she need forgiven for? What did she do? When did she do it?_ His mind was racing. _The Endar Spire! Is that what you did, Sage?_ With that, he went to the common room to start looking in her bag. He came across the datapad that had her assignment and service record on it.

Name: Marin Sage

Origin: Deralia

Age: 29

Skills: Advanced Language Arts, Advanced Melee Weapons, Advanced Hand to Hand Combat, Basic Mechanics

Commanding Officer: Jedi Bastilla Shan

Assignment: Logistic and Language Advisor; Endar Spire

Branch of Service: Not Affiliated

"Not affiliated? Does that mean SITH!"

He scrolled through the entries for any other information, but came up with nothing. He returned the pad to her bag and walked back into the sleeping chamber to sit on his bed. He watched her for a while, blaster in hand. She murmured more in her sleep. He tried desperately to listen for any more clues, but she wasn't putting any words together. He laid down and stared at the ceiling. He tried sleeping again, but was unable to relax enough. He finally gave up and moved to the fresher. He gave her one last accusatory glare before entering.

He stood in the shower with his head resting against the wall while the hot water beat on his back_. Ok, I saw her in the cantina talking to that Twi'lek about something. Then she makes us late for our departure…could have been buying time. I bet she ran into me on purpose. She had plenty of time to look through those datapads to find what she was looking for. The sabaac game…two lieutenants and a captain…she was fishing for information. Then she's the last one…why is that? Did she meet with her friends to discuss the rest of their plans? Argh!_ He punched the controls to turn off the shower. He rubbed a towel furiously over his skin and got dressed.

When he stormed out of the fresher, he stopped short. He looked over to find the "saboteur" lying on the floor, still unconscious. She was curled up in a ball and shivering. Fresh blood was emerging from under the bacta patch. "Frack!" He dug his fingers into his wet hair.

He pulled back the covers on her bed and lifted her back into it. He used their last medpac to treat the re-opened wound. _She's lost a lot of blood. I need to find help._

* * *

Carth left the apartment, and for the first time, ventured out of the building. It was early morning and the streets were crowded with people on their way to work. He found an information droid that told him where to find a med clinic. There he met Zelka Forn. He had the impression that the doctor was not a friend of the Sith. 

"Please, my…acquaintance needs help. I don't know what to do for her. I don't have much and I can't bring her here. Is there anything you can do?" He pleaded.

"You say she has a head injury?" Carth nodded. "…and she's been unconscious for how many days?" Carth couldn't seem to think of the answer…he just shook his head. He was getting frustrated.

"Hmm," the doctor said, eyeing Carth. "Are you in need of medical attention?"

"What? Me? No…No. I'm fine." _What the hell does he mean, 'do I need any medical attention?' Didn't I just tell him the friggin' problem. Why am I getting so upset?_

"I see." The doctor grabbed a satchel and placed a few supplies in it, "It's quiet here in the morning and my technician and droids should be able to handle things until I get back. Let's go check on your…acquaintance."

Carth was visibly relieved. The doctor waited a few moments, "You'll have to lead the way."

"Wha- Oh, yes, of course."

They left as the doctor gave Carth a wary look.

* * *

The first thing the doctor noticed upon seeing Sage was the blood dyed sleeves of her tunic. He was a little apprehensive, especially because of the strange behavior of her companion. He inspected her injuries, "Oh my, that is a nasty bump she has there. I'm not even going to ask how she got it." 

Carth didn't respond.

"Tell me what her symptoms have been."

"Symptoms? Oh, well, ah, she had a fever, and dreams, and tosses, and cold, and bleeding." The doctor barely caught Carth as he swayed and sat him on his bed.

"Are you sure you are uninjured." Carth nodded.

"When's the last time you slept?"

"It's hard to sleep…she screams…nightmares."

"When's the last time you've eaten?"

"I had some ration bars…yesterday, I think. Look, is she going to be okay?"

The doctor sighed, "I should be able to close the wound and apply a healing agent. I can give her a pain reliever that will keep the fevers down. With the fever and pain gone, she should be able to rest comfortably, and with fewer interruptions. However, you're not going to be any good to her in the state you're in. You need to get some food and rest." Carth nodded again. "My guess is that she's been unconscious for almost two days. It shouldn't be much longer…maybe another day. When she does wake up, please bring her back to the clinic…don't let her eat any big meals before I get a chance to examine her again…try to stick to liquids," he instructed.

He finished treating Sage. Carth stood up and handed him the credits he had. The doctor put up his hand, "That won't be necessary. Just, please, get some rest. She'll be fine."

"Thank you, doctor."

After the doctor left, Carth collapsed on the bed and was asleep in no time.

* * *

Carth awoke 8 hours later to a ringing in his head. He slowly realized it was the door chime. He jumped up and immediately reached for his blasters. He slowly made his way over to the door. He stood to the side as he hit the door release. 

Zelka Forn cautiously peeked through the door only to find a blaster pointed at his head. He nearly dropped the package he was carrying, "Please, don't shoot. It's just me."

Carth, rather embarrassed, lowered his weapon. "I'm sorry, I was sleeping, and I didn't know who it was."

"Sleeping! Well that's good to hear. You look much better. How is she?"

Carth glanced toward the sleeping chamber, "I'm guessing she's doing better. She didn't wake me with any outbursts, so that's a good sign."

"Very good indeed. I brought you something…it's not much, but it should be enough to help you get your energy back." The doctor handed Carth the package of food. "There's a container of soup in there for her when she wakes up. Remember, no heavy meals until she sees me." He gave Carth a pointed look.

Carth shook his head, "You really didn't need to do this, please, how much do I owe you?"

Zelka shook his head, "No need. Just be sure to get her to my clinic."

"I don't know how to thank you."

"You seem like a nice enough person that is concerned about his friend. Such regard isn't seen much on this planet. I'm glad I could help. Take care."

Carth didn't hesitate after the doctor left. He set the package on the table and enjoyed his first meal in two days. He spent the rest of the evening viewing the holoset, trying to get any information on the planet they were on.

* * *

In the morning, Carth noticed that Sage's color was starting to return. He took a quick shower. When he came out of the fresher, he heard a moan. He looked over at Sage to find her tangled in the sheets. _Oh no, not again._

She yelled out, "NO!" and opened her eyes. Carth kept his distance. He watched her eyes search the room.

* * *

Sage finally woke up. She opened her eyes, but was unable to focus. She closed them again. Her head was pounding. She brought her hands to her face and felt the bandage on her forehead. She opened her eyes and looked at her hands. She could see dried blood in the creases and around her fingernails. She concentrated on focusing. A shadow could be seen from the left and she realized she wasn't alone. 

_Where the hell am I? Who else is here? What happened to my head?_

She looked at the dried blood on the sleeves of her tunic. _Ugh_. She tried sitting up, but was hit with a wave of nausea and laid back down. _Okay, not so fast next time._

The other person came over and was speaking to her. She couldn't make out what he was saying over the pounding in her head. She tried focusing again. It took her some time, but she eventually was able to make out the person standing in front of her.

She was somewhat surprised to see Carth Onasi standing there. He had a very concerned look on his face, but still held a defensive stance, "Carth?"

He relaxed a little when she said his name. He nodded and continued talking, but she still couldn't understand him.

She searched her memories. _Ok, sabaac game, Panos showed up, knocked him out, went to bed, fell out, that guy…that guy… fighting, oh no, Trask,_ she paused…_wow_…_escape pod_, she looked up at the man, _Carth._

She moved to sit up again. Carth reached down to help keep her steady. She moved her legs to the side of the bed and sat up successfully. She put her face in her hands to keep her head steady. She took a couple of deep breaths. She looked up at Carth. _Why does he look like he could shoot me at any time?_

She looked around the room. _Where are we?_ She looked out the window and saw the traffic outside. _This must be Taris._

Sitting up helped the pounding in her head subside a little.

"…therefore, we have to find Bastilla." Carth looked at her expectantly.

"Are we on Taris?" she asked.

Carth was taken back, "Weren't you listening to anything I've been telling you?"

"No."

Exasperated, he threw up his hands, "Yes, we're on Taris. The Sith have th-"

She put up her hand to stop him, "One thing at a time."

Carths lips formed a tight line.

"What happened to my head?"

"You were hurt during the landing…it wasn't exactly smooth," he paused. "You've been unconscious for a couple of days."

Sage let that information sink in. She looked down at her clothes. She examined the new tear in her pants and the gash that was underneath. She looked from one sleeve to the other, "How many days have I been out?"

"Two or three."

She looked at her tunic again with a disgusted look, "Ooh, I need a shower."

"There's a fresher through that door. I was able to find some clo- …blah, blah, blah…" she was losing him again.

"Where's my bag?"

"I'll get it." He left through another door and returned with her bag. He set the bag in the fresher.

She made a move to stand up and he ran to catch her. "Are you sure you're up to it, maybe you should lie back down."

"No, I think I'll be better after a shower…I just might need a little help getting there."

Carth helped her get to the fresher. She shut the door and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time, "Oh no, you've got to be kidding me." The most obvious was the huge bruised gash above her right eyebrow. She had streaks of blood smeared on her face and her hair was crispy with dried blood.

She removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. She winced as the water stung her forehead. She was thankful that nothing else seemed to be hurting. She did notice how incredibly hungry she was.

She emerged from the shower somewhat refreshed. If it weren't for her pounding head, she would be great. She was thankful for the extra pants and underwear she had in her bag, but couldn't find a shirt. That's a problem. _There's no way I can wear that shirt_. She peaked her head out of the fresher and yelled for Carth.

* * *

The whole time Sage was in the shower, Carth paced back and forth. _How long is she going to be? We've already been here long enough…we need to get moving. I still need to get her to the doctor._

"Carth?" he heard her call. He went over to the sleeping chamber and looked in. (gasp) _She's in her underwear_. He quickly looked away.

"Is there any chance that there's a shirt somewhere that I can wear?"

Carth went to the clothes he retrieved from the other apartment. They were mostly men's clothes, but he found a white shirt he thought she could wear. He returned to the room and held it out as far as he could, trying not to see anything he shouldn't.

Sage chuckled, "Thanks," and returned to the fresher.

When she emerged from the fresher, he was waiting for her in the common area, "There's some soup that the doctor brought for you."

"Soup? How about a nerf steak, I can really go for a nerf steak."

"I'm sure we both could, but that's not an option right now," he said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well first of all, we don't have nerf steak…and second, he gave strict instructions to keep you away from solids until he sees you," he said.

"So…soup?" Carth nodded.

"Wait, who said I had to eat soup?"

"The doctor."

"What doctor?"

"The doctor that came to see you."

"What did he do?"

"He put something on your head to close the wound and then injected you with a pain reliever to take away the fever and reduce the nightmares," he explained.

"Nightmares?"

Carth had to remind himself that she didn't listen to his earlier speech, "You seemed to have lots of nightmares that had you thrashing around in your sleep. I had to get a doctor when you fell out of bed and reopened your wound."

Sage thought for a moment. _From the looks of things, I was in fairly good hands._ "Okay, where's that soup?"

Carth went to the kitchenette to heat up Sage's soup while she walked over to the window to gaze upon the city. She turned to Carth, "So, what exactly is going on out there."

* * *

Sage ate her soup while Carth explained that the planet was under Sith quarantine and that nobody was allowed to leave the planet until the Sith found Bastilla. 

"So how are the citizens of Taris reacting?" she asked.

He thought a moment, "I don't really know."

She smirked, "You have left the apartment, haven't you?"

"Of course I've left. How else was I going to get help for you?"

"So what did you do while you were out?" she asked.

"I went to the med clinic," was the only explanation he gave.

"…and?" she waited.

"'And' what? I went to the med clinic," he said defensively.

Sage sat back with a frown, "Okay, did you talk to any people?"

"No."

"Did you find any other escape pods?"

"No."

"Is there a cantina nearby?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hmm."

"What?" he demanded. "Well excuse me for not running around the city and letting you bleed to death!"

Sage was amused, "Relax Captain, I'm extremely fortunate to have had someone like you to look after me. I find it rather sweet, actually."

He harrumphed, "Well, don't read anything into it."

"Wouldn't think of it," she said with a smile. "So what's on the agenda?"

"I promised the doctor I'd bring you in to see him. After that, we begin our search for Bastilla and find a way off the planet," he explained.

"Well, somewhere in there, we need to go shopping."

Carth narrowed his eyes, "Shopping? You can't be serious. Do you realize the seriousness of our situation? We are on a Sith controlled planet right now. Our first priority is getting off this planet, NOT shopping."

She thought for a moment, "Do you think that we're going to find Bastilla and get off this planet by the end of the day today?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous."

"Who's being ridiculous? I'm not sure what kind of hygiene issues you have, but I'm going to need a few things if we're going to be here for a couple of days. Not to mention, I think this is a kids shirt." She stood up to model the obviously too small shirt that she was wearing.

Carth tensed when he realized how much the shirt revealed that he hadn't noticed before. _Uh…um…yeah…she needs a new shirt._

Sage watched his reaction with a smirk. When his eyes returned to her face, she winked at him. He looked away, blushing.

"Anyway, we'll also need to find a way to get some credits. I don't have much," he said.

"How's that? Panos said you were cleaning up when he left the sabaac game."

"I left them in my quarters." "Oh."

_Wait, did she say Panos?_ "When did you talk to Panos?" he asked.

"He came to my quarters after the game," she said nonchalantly.

Carth froze. _No. Way_.

She retrieved her bag and started digging through it, "I'm ready if you are."

Carth holstered his blasters, "Let's move out."

"Wait! Where's my blade?"

_Uh-oh._


	6. Upper Taris Part 1

"You sold my blade?" Sage asked.

Carth nodded.

"Why would you sell my blade?" she demanded.

"We needed the credits," he replied.

She looked at him unbelievingly, "But my blade?" She started pacing the room, her irritation evident. She stopped in front of him, "When I came through the door to the escape pods, was I carrying a blaster?"

She didn't wait for a response, "No, I was carrying a blade."

Carth took a step back. He wasn't sure what she was going to do. He reminded himself of the woman he saw on Nar Shaddaa.

Sage narrowed her eyes, "And what gave you the right to go through MY bag?"

Carth winced. She had him there. "Look, the merchant I sold it to is in the building. We'll just buy it back from him."

"You're damn right we will!"

* * *

Upon exiting the apartment, they had an encounter with a Sith patrol. Sage was impressed with how well Carth handled the Sith and his droids.

The merchant Carth sold the items to was unwilling to sell the vibroblade back at the price he bought it for. Carth was livid, but still wouldn't let Sage inflict the bodily harm she threatened. They didn't have enough credits. Sage insisted on going through the building and "finding" the credits.

Carth eyed her warily. She glanced at him, "Will you get over it already?"

"Sorry, pillaging just isn't my thing," he replied sarcastically.

"Pillaging," she scoffed, "being a little dramatic, are we?"

"Oh, and what would you call it?" he asked.

She shook her head, "This, coming from a guy who searched my bag for things to sell."

Carth rolled his eyes. "Considering the trouble we went through to replace it, I sure hope you're better with a blade than you are a blaster," he said while eyeing the blaster burn mark on the side of his pants. Sage eyed his pants with a smirk. _I did get a little too close on that one, _she admitted to herself.

Sage started to waver, "My head is killing me and I'm starving. Let's find that cantina Kadir told us about," she started to walk ahead of him.

He grabbed her elbow, "After we get you to the doctor."

She pulled her arm away, "Fine."

He shook his head and motioned the way.

* * *

Sage and Carth went to the med clinic to meet with Dr. Forn. The doctor inspected her wound and asked her various questions about how she was feeling.

"The wound itself is healing properly. The bruising should diminish in a few days. You'll need to eat, but I wouldn't start with anything too heavy." the doctor instructed.

"Thank you, doctor, I appreciate all you've done to help," Sage said.

"I don't deserve all the thanks. If it weren't for this gentleman, you would have been in much worse shape…he took good care of you," the doctor said, motioning to Carth.

Carth felt a twinge of apprehension over the praise, "I would have done it for anyone."

"Yes, doctor, I was quite fortunate to have my personal savior here to look after me." She gave Carth a teasing smile. Carth looked away and grumbled. Zelka looked from one to the other and shook his head.

Sage started wandering around the room checking everything out. The doctor eyed her nervously. He wasn't quite sure to trust this woman who just the day before was wearing a blood drenched tunic. "So, doctor, what can you tell us about Taris?"

The doctor told his visitors about the conditions of the city, including information on the rakghoul disease. He watched her as she started opening cupboards. His voice started to raise and Sage could sense his nervousness when she approached a door at one end of the clinic. The doctor distracted her by coming up to her and handing her injectors, "Take these to treat the pain. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to."

Sage put the meds in her bag and left with Carth. On their way out, they were confronted by a med tech who told them of a business opportunity regarding the rakghoul serum. They brushed him off and left.

* * *

Upon entering the cantina, Carth noticed Sage's paling complexion, "You don't look so good," he commented with slight concern.

"That's a good line. Do you use that often?" she replied. He ignored her.

Being just before dinner, the cantina was starting to get lively. They passed by pazaak tables, a bar, a large room with a Hutt at the end of it, and a music room with a band and Twi'lek dancers. Somebody offered to introduce Sage to the band for credits, but she rudely told him the band "sucks" before walking away. They found a table to sit where they could order food.

Sage noted the disapproving look on Carth's face, "What? So I didn't want to meet a bunch of horn tooting Bith, let alone pay for it…maybe they should pay to meet me."

Carth's eyes grew wide at her statement and he tried to hold back his grin. Sage gave him a questioning look until she realized what she just said. She took a sharp breath. She gave him a pointed look, "You have a dirty mind, flyboy." He gave a small chuckle and looked back at the menu.

After silently enjoying their first real meal in days, Sage leaned back in her chair, "Well, tongues don't get looser than a place like this. I suggest we get to know the locals."

Carth nodded his head in agreement, "We need credits if we're going to eat. Are you any good at pazaak?"

Sage shook her head, "No, not really. How about you check out the pazaak tables and I'll go have a drink at the bar?"

Carth got up to leave. He gave her a warning look, "Remember to keep a low profile."

"Aye, Captain," she said with a salute.

_Forget the drink, I'm going to see what that Hutt's up to. Hutt's always know what's going on._

* * *

After speaking with Ajuur the Hutt, Sage decided the duel rings sounded like a great idea. He said she could do her first duel tonight.

"Give me an hour."

She decided to go back to the apartment to pick up some armor she found in an apartment in their building today. Knowing he would just hold her up, Sage decided against telling Carth of her plans. She tried walking behind him when leaving with the hopes he wouldn't notice…he noticed.

_Where does she think she's going?_ He got up to follow her, but Niklos, his opponent stopped him, asking if he was planning on forfeiting the game. Carth knew he couldn't afford to forfeit, so he sat back down and flipped on his comm.

"Sage," she answered.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to run back to the apartment for something. I'll be back in a bit," she explained.

"What could you possibly need back at the apartment? If you wait until I'm done here, I'll go with you."

"I can handle myself. Sage out," she terminated the link.

_It's not you I'm worried about._

Carth turned back to his game.

"Looks like somebody struck out tonight," Niklos said.

Carths eyes narrowed, "Excuse me?"

Niklos motioned toward the door, "A woman leaves the cantina and says she'll be right back…Ha! She's not coming back."

Carth didn't know whether to be annoyed with the man for insinuating he "struck out" or worry that she really wasn't coming back.

_It's not really safe out there. What if she runs into trouble? What could she be getting at the apartment? Maybe she's going back to get her things._

The longer she was gone, the more nervous he got. _We still haven't talked about the attack. I think she's avoiding the subject. What if she is working for the Sith? She could be going to them right now. This could all be a setup. I'm a sitting gizka._

He pushed away from the table just as Sage walked in carrying her bag. Niklos' curiosity peaked as he paid close attention to the exchange.

"Why do you have that," Carth said pointing at the bag.

"It was easier to carry everything I need," she stated as she tried to move past him.

He blocked her way with a defensive stance. He demanded, "Everything you need for what?"

She put her hand on her hip, "None of your business." She tried to get around him again. She really didn't like his tone. _Who does he think he is?_

"It's my business if you're planning on ditching me!" he stammered.

She shook her head to make sure she heard clearly, "DITCHING you?"

He leaned in closer so that only she could hear. He wrapped his hand around her arm above her elbow. In a low voice, he warned, "You swore an oath and we're stuck together whether you OR I like it or not. Now we need to work together and I want to know what you're up to."

She snapped her arm out of his grip. "You're really starting to get under my skin, Onasi," she growled. She turned on her heal and walked away. "Don't wait up," she shot back at him.

Carth stood there fuming. He wanted to throttle the man snickering next to him. He stared after her a while, not sure whether to follow her or not. Niklos cleared his throat. Carth conceded and sat down.

"You know, some women have a funny way about not wanting to be told what to do. She seems like she may be that kind of woman," Niklos offered.

"Shut up!"

* * *

Sage returned to the apartment after defeating Deadeye Duncan and picking up some things from a few shops she passed on the way back. The lights were dimmed when she walked in. She set down her bags and took some items she purchased to the refresher.

Carth lay in his bunk pretending to sleep. His tension eased only slightly upon her return.

She emerged from the refresher in her new sleep pants and shirt. She turned out the lights and crawled into her bunk. She rolled to her side, turning her back to Carth's bunk, and went to sleep.

Carth sighed and went to sleep as well.

* * *

The next morning, Carth woke up to find Sage not in her bunk. He noticed she wasn't in the refresher. He walked into the common room and still no sign of Sage. "Argh! That woman!" He stomped into the refresher for a quick shower before setting out to look for her.

As soon as the apartment door opened, he stopped. Sage was sitting on a bench next to Kadir, the janitor. They were each drinking out of small cups and he was smoking a cigarra.

Sage eyed Carth trying to gauge his ever so changing mood. She sensed his annoyance and decided not to bother with a greeting. She stood and handed Kadir the cup she was holding, "I'll find you later to pick up that caf dispenser."

"I'll be here, and thanks again for the cigarra," he said.

"Thank _you_ for the caf," she returned.

She started walking to the turbo lift, leaving Carth to catch up.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the lift that they took to the street level. Carth noticed her bag on her shoulder, but decided against commenting on it. They stopped at a street vendor and each ordered a pastry and caf. They sat on a small wall to eat it.

"How's your head this morning?" Carth started.

"Fine," she replied.

He waited for her to say more, but she didn't.

_I'm not apologizing until I know I'm wrong._

He tried again, "Any ideas what we should do next?"

Sage studied him a moment. She straightened up and let out a sigh, "I overhead someone saying there may have been escape pods that landed in the lower levels. I'd like to find out how to get to the lower city and see if we can find out what happened to other pods."

Carth nodded in agreement, "From what I understand, only authorized personnel are permitted into the lower city. The Sith are trying to prevent everyone from moving around too much while they continue their search."

Sage thought for a moment, "So the only people allowed to move around are the ones the Sith give permission to?"

"Somehow I don't think they'll be offering us a pass," Carth made the obvious comment.

Sage didn't hear him as she scanned the area, watching the different people that walked by. "The people here aren't very helpful. They all seem miffed about the quarantine, whether they want to leave or not. The only people that don't seem to care are the apparent nobles…and if one more of them comments on my clothes, I might have to do something to shut them up."

"All while maintaining your low profile, right," his warning was clear.

Sage frowned, "Whatever the situation warrants."

* * *

The two decided to investigate more of the city to find a way to get to the lower level. They were walking down a side street when they came upon two thugs threatening another man. It turned out that the thugs worked for the local crime lord, Davik Kang. The thugs didn't like the company and approached Sage and Carth.

"We don't need any witnesses," one of them sneered.

Sage unsheathed her blade, "Neither do we."

The fight was rather quick and ended with two dead thugs. The other man being threatened started thanking them over and over again. He explained that he owed Davik money and this wouldn't be the last threat until he repaid his debt.

Sage leaned down to collect the fallen blasters, "We'll make you a deal, we get the weapons and whatever else you find on them is yours."

The man's face paled as he stared down at the two dead men. He made a move towards them and then seemed to think twice about it. He looked back pleadingly at Sage.

"They're dead, they won't miss it," she said.

She walked away. Carth ran to catch up to her and gave her that look again.

"What? Do I have to do all the work? If he values his life enough, he'll dig through a dead man's pockets. Besides, I didn't see you offering to do it for him."

He sighed and continued walking. _I bet she has one hell of a bedside manner._

* * *

They spent the morning and early afternoon searching for a way to the lower city. They came across a guarded elevator. They watched a patrol board the elevator with little interaction with the guard. They decided to get something to eat back at the cantina.

After their meal, they split up to check out the cantina a little more thoroughly. Carth made Sage promise she wouldn't leave the building without him. She was anxious to start her next duel, so she agreed just to get him to leave her alone.

After winning the duel against Gerlon Two Fingers, she approached Ajuur about setting up another one. An hour later, she was fighting Ice. Ice was a little more competition than the first two, but Sage easily got the better of the other woman. She took some time to talk to her next challenge. She decided to wait until the next day to go up against him.

She went to get a drink. Her headache had started to return and she left the pain meds back at the apartment. She got into a small argument with a "noble" in the back bar, but Carth's words of warning rang in the back of her head. _Damn you, flyboy!_

* * *

Carth decided to have a drink at the main bar. A younger woman came and sat in the seat next to him. He glanced at her and gave her a faint smile, "Hello."

She gave him a hopeful smile, "Hello."

Carth shifted in his seat. He tried to figure out what she was doing here. She didn't appear to be a noble. After some silence, she held out her hand, "I'm Sarna."

Carth hesitated, eyeing her hand. He shook it, "Carth…nice to meet you."

More silence. _I'm not very good at this._ "So, are you from Taris?"

The woman was visibly relieved that he was talking to her, "Actually no. I've been stationed here. How about you? Are you from Taris?"

_Stationed? She's a Sith!_ He tried not to let his tension show. He immediately started scanning the area to find where Sage was. He couldn't see her anywhere. He looked back at the woman sitting next to him. She was waiting for an answer, "Uh, no, I'm not from Taris. I'm just passing through."

They continued their discussion and she invited him to a party the next evening. He said he would have to check with his business partner, but he would try. She looked a little disappointed but told him she hoped to see him later and left.

He let out a sigh of relief. _I can't believe I just had a conversation with a Sith…and she was hitting on me._ He shook off the chill that ran up his spine. He ordered another drink and decided to play more pazaak.

* * *

Sage took a seat at a table in the back corner of the music room and decided to watch the Bith tooters.

A tall man with dark hair and dark eyes asked to join her. He bought her another drink and they sat and talked. It turned out he was working at the Sith base. They talked for quite some time, over a few more drinks, about the quarantine and the reactions of the people around them. Sage tried to get as much information from him that she could without seeming too eager. He invited her to a party that he was going to the next night right after work. This gave Sage an idea and she agreed to go.

After he was gone, Sage glanced around the room she was sitting in. She just then realized that Carth was sitting at a table in the front of the room watching the dancers. She decided to join him. She had a little too much to drink with her new friend Yun, so she swayed a little on her journey over to him.

* * *

Carth was enjoying watching a Twi'lek dancing girl gyrating in front of him. He hardly noticed when someone sat in the seat next to him.

When the next song started, he reached for his drink and was surprised to see Sage sitting there. In fact, not only was she sitting there, but she was watching the same dancer quite intently. He looked back at the dancer. The dancer was looking at Sage and gave a very provocative dip down towards her. He swallowed hard and felt his pants tighten a little.

He looked back at Sage to see her reaction. She smiled at the dancer and with a soft chuckle looked over at Carth.

Carth's head was spinning. He wasn't sure if it was because of the many drinks he had or the fact that he was getting turned on by what he just observed.

She tipped her head to the side in thought. After contemplating her question, "So tell me, what is the lure of the Twi'lek dancer?"

"Wh-what?"

"What makes them any different than any other woman dancing like that?" she asked.

Carth stared at her blankly.

She continued, "I mean, is it the head tails? Do you somehow picture them as an extra pair of hands? Two for the price of one, maybe?" She stopped to think about it.

Carth was speechless.

"If that were the case, why wouldn't the Twi'lek men hold such an attraction?" she asked. "I'm sure a woman would enjoy the extra contact just as much as a man would."

She ponders some more looking at the dancer, "Hmm…maybe it's not the head tails." She looks back at Carth, "Seriously, do you think if I put on an outfit like that and got up there and swayed my hips…that I would get the same reaction?"

Try as he might, Carth could not fight the image of Sage in a dancers outfit swaying in front of him. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat to ease the pressure in his pants. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

When she didn't get a reply, she shrugged, "Maybe it is the head tails." She finished her drink and stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

Carth silently willed his body to behave before he could stand up, "I'll meet you by the door after I finish my drink."

She walked away. He sat there staring at his drink a few moments longer. _What the hell just happened?_ He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He finished the rest of his drink in one gulp and got up to leave, never looking back at the dancer.

* * *

Upon leaving the cantina they were ambushed by a group of poorly trained thugs. Even in their mutual state of inebriation, Sage and Carth had no problem striking them down.

"I can't believe that schutta did that. All I did was call her a spoiled brat," Sage was dumbfounded.

Carth sighed and shook his head, "Making friends, are we?

She continued as if she didn't hear him, "This place is unbelievable. Nobles my ass, there's nothing noble about how these people act."

"Oh yes, and you're a perfect example of nobility," he replied sarcastically.

She gave him a pointed look, "I never claimed to be noble…that's your role."

_I wasn't feeling too noble about fifteen minutes ago,_ he thought.

* * *

When they returned to the apartment they immediately got ready for bed. Carth was in his bed when Sage came out in light blue sleep pants and the little white shirt she had worn the day before. The difference was that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it this time.

He watched as she walked over by his bed to turn out the light. His breath caught in his throat when he noticed the soft outline of her rosy nipples through the fabric. His chest tightened and he immediately felt the familiar feeling returning to his sleep pants.

She turned out the light and slid into her bed, "Goodnight Carth."

"Goodnight," he squeaked.

He rolled onto his stomach and slightly ground his hips into the bed. He buried his face into his pillow and let out a quiet groan.

* * *

Thanks to my reviewers. The next chapter is already done and will be up soon. 


	7. Upper Taris Part 2

Sage woke up with a deep gasp. She was sweating and her heart was pounding. She tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had a nightmare, but couldn't remember anything about it. She looked around the dark room and realized that it was very early.

Carth watched as Sage got up to go to the fresher. She cried out while sleeping, waking him up in the process. He watched her try to regain her composure. It was still early, so he decided to go back to sleep.

While in the 'fresher, Sage splashed cold water on her face. She looked over her wound in the mirror. The swelling was completely gone and the bruise was fading. She checked her chrono and decided that she might as well stay up.

She took the opportunity to shower and get dressed. She made some caf and started organizing all the stuff they had collected over the last couple of days. She sorted out the items she thought might come in handy and which ones they could sell_. I should hide his blaster and tell him I sold it_, she snickered to herself. _Who am I kidding, he probably has it under his pillow._ She noticed the orange flight jacket hanging over one of the chairs. _Is that blood?_

* * *

After a while, Sage heard Carth moving around in the other room. He had just come out of the 'fresher when she went in the room to grab her vest. She stopped when she saw him standing there with black pants and no shirt. She took a moment to admire his muscular back and arms. She could see faint scars from previous injuries. She straightened up when he turned around.

He didn't know she was standing there and jumped a little when he saw her. "Have you seen my beige tunic?" he asked. He continued to look around.

Carth looked toward her again. She had an unreadable expression on her face. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"What? No," she replied.

"Have you seen it?" he asked.

"Seen what?"

"My beige tunic."

"Oh, ah, yes, it's in the other room."

She didn't take her eyes off him as he walked past her and disappeared into the other room.

* * *

Sage and Carth set out for the north part of the city. Sage explained her plan to get to know the Sith a little better to see if there was a way of getting into the lower city. Carth didn't like it, but Sage let him know there was no choice in the matter…they were going to the party.

They scoped out the apartment building the party was going to be in that evening. Carth disapproved as Sage continued to grab anything that would fit in her bag. _If she thinks I'm going to carry that thing for her, she can think again_

They still had some time left before they had to get ready for the party. Sage told Carth about the pile of stuff she made at the apartment for things to sell. She told him she was going to the doctor to get checked on while he took the items to a merchant.

Once Carth was gone, Sage headed to the cantina to fight her next dual. She barely beat Marl. _That old man is a lot faster than he looks_. His blade left a huge gash in her upper left arm and she had to go see Dr. Forn to take care of it. By the time she got back to the apartment, she thought Carth would be fuming about how long she had taken. Surprisingly, he wasn't.

"Did you do this?" he asked while holding up his flight jacket.

"Do what?"

"Clean my jacket…there was quite a bit of blood on it from the crash. I thought it was ruined."

She shrugged, "Kadir, for some reason, had some trillium soap that I was able to use. It worked on my vest too."

Carth knew she didn't get much sleep the night before and obviously found plenty to do before he woke up. He was pleasantly surprised to see his jacket cleaned.

"I don't know what to say…thank you."

"Don't mention it." She started walking into the sleeping chamber, "I'm getting a shower."

Sage and Carth took turns in the 'fresher and dressed for the party. Carth admired Sage's form fitting outfit. "Do you always carry a vibroblade to a party?" he said with a smirk.

Sage didn't look up from fastening her boot, "I'm going to a Sith party with a Republic soldier…I think it's best to be prepared for anything. In fact, you might want to check the energy cells in your blaster."

Carth patted his hip, "Already done."

They decided to stop at a restaurant on the way for dinner. The host droid sat them at a candlelit table for two. They sat in uncomfortable silence over the intimacy of the setting.

Carth began, "We don't have much time before the party starts."

"I'm sure it won't matter if we're a little late," she shrugged.

"I don't like to be late to anything."

Sage gave him a doubting look, "You're worried about insulting a Sith party host?" She laughed, "I'm sure they would be touched to know a Republic war hero cared so much."

Carth sighed, "Just eat."

After finishing their meal, Sage decided to ask Carth about himself. He told her about being a star pilot for the Republic. However, he stiffened when she asked where he was from. He paused for a moment before telling her about his homeworld being bombed. His anger got the best of him and he continued on ranting about the senseless acts of the Sith . His heart and fists clenched at the painful memories and without thinking he blurt out that he failed them.

Sage listened intently, stricken by the pain emanating from this man. _I think I got a little more than I asked for here. _She didn't know how to respond. "You act like it's all your fault."

Carth berated himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. He used his fork to push some food around on his plate. He looked away wondering how to back out of any further discussion. "It's not…I, uh,…I don't talk about my past much…at all, actually…I'm sure you mean well, but I'm more used to taking action…keeping my mind focused on the business at hand."

There was an uneasy silence. "Look, no offense or anything, but given your, uh…feelings for the Sith, maybe I should go to this party by myself," she suggested.

Carth tensed. _My'feelings' for the Sith? Tthey're the SITH! Doesn't_ she_ have bad 'feelings' regarding them. I guess she wouldn't if she were one of them. Oh no, sister, not without me._

"There's no way you're going alone…and there will be no further discussion about it," he stated firmly.

_Damn he's touchy._

The waitress came with the bill and Sage gave her the appropriate credits. The waitress thanked them and then addressed Sage, "I'm a big fan, Stranger. Good luck!"

Sage nodded and thanked her. She began to stand up before the questions started flying…too late. Carth grabbed her wrist and motioned for her to sit. Sage was reluctant, but complied. She all the sudden found the candle in the middle of the table very interesting.

"What was that all about?" Carth asked.

Sage tried to play dumb, "What do you mean?"

"That waitress said she was a "big fan" and wished you luck."

She waved her hand as if to brush it off, "Oh, well, it's just something I've been doing in my free time for extra credits."

Carth raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be."

"Dueling."

"Dueling?"

She nodded.

Carth thought for a moment and furrowed his brow, "Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that _you_ are the Mysterious Stranger?"

She nodded again.

He chuckled, "I should have known. What ever happened to maintaining a low profile?"

She leaned forward, "That's why I'm called the Mysterious Stranger."

Carth thought for a moment, "That's where you've been getting all the extra credits," he paused. "So if I understand correctly, you have two more matches until you're the champion."

"One. I fought Marl today."

His lips formed a tight line, "When you were supposed to be going to the doctor."

"Actually, I did go to the doctor. You wouldn't believe how fast that man was. He sliced open my arm before I realized it. I can assure you that I won't underestimate the next guy…I'm going prepared."

Carth shook his head, "Will you at least tell me when your next one is?"

"Why, do you want to watch?" she asked.

"Of course I would, you're an impressive fighter."

Sage smiled, "You haven't seen anything, yet."

* * *

Upon entering the party, Yun immediately descended upon Sage, but stopped short when he realized Carth was standing next to her.

Sarna came from behind him and wrapped her arm through Carth's and led him into the room. Carth looked back at the open-mouthed Sage and gave her a wink. Yun was relieved when Sage offered her hand to be led into the party.

_At least I'm not the only one keeping secrets, _she thought.

Carth drank some Tarisian Ale, but tried to keep an eye on everything around him. He made sure he knew where Sage was at all times. He did this while trying to ward off the continuing advances from Sarna.

Sage was having a good time talking to different people and drinking the Tarisian Ale. She was particularly enjoying the sight of Carth across the room fending off the roaming hands of his new friend. She stifled a laugh when Sarnas hand ran up Carths thigh and he about shot out of his seat.

It was a good thing they arrived late. The ale was quite potent and the other party-goers were already feeling the effects…including Yun. _Tall, dark, and handsome just turned into drunk, slurred, and groping._

Carth finally got some relief when Sarna went to refill their drinks. He was watching Sage with interest. Yun had her backed up against a wall and running his hands along her side. He wouldn't have thought much of it if he hadn't recognized the look in her eyes. If Yun didn't watch himself, he was going to be in a great deal of pain.

Sage was searching for options. Yun was starting to get much more aggressive. _If he tries to brush his hand against my breast one more time, he's going to meet my fist._ She knew she couldn't cause a huge scene here among his friends. She was able to wiggle free just as Yun leaned in for a kiss. She grabbed his hand and smiled sweetly at him and led him towards one of the bedrooms.

Carth was so shocked that he didn't even notice Sarna sitting down next to him and draping her leg over his. _What is she up to? She's either taking him back there to kill him or to … I don't even want to think about that._ He felt something wet on his ear when he realized it was Sarna nibbling on it. _Ugh!_

He jumped up out of his seat just as Sage emerged from the bedroom with a bag draped over her shoulder. She walked over to Carth. Sarna stepped in front of him as if to claim her prize for the evening, "I thought you were with Yun?"

Sage let out a deep sigh and said regrettably, "Yeah, I thought so too."

_She did kill him_, Carth thought.

"What happened," Sarna asked.

Sage looked away, "It seems he wasn't interested in me."

Sarna gave her a disbelieving look, "Not interested in _you_?"

Sage shook her head, "No…it seems he has feelings for someone he works with."

Sarna raised her eyebrows, "Oh?"

"Says her name is…" she looks up as if trying to remember, "Something with an S…Selma…no, no that's not it."

"S-Sarna?" she asked excitedly. Carth tried to hide his grin.

Sage gave a satisfied smile, "Sarna, yes, that was it. Why, do you know her?"

"Why yes, I'm Sarna," she almost whispered.

Sage's smile fell. She looked from Sarna to Carth and back again, "Oh…well…this is awkward, isn't it." She gave a mock wince. "Well, I think he deserves to be happy."

Sarna looked over at Carth not knowing what to say. Carth smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I understand."

Sarna was relieved. She leaned over and gave Carth a kiss right on the lips and said, "Thank you." She then turned and walked hurriedly toward the bedroom Yun was in.

Sage walked over and snaked her arm around Carth's, "We should probably get going."

Carth looked over and couldn't help but smile at her laughing eyes.

The two of them walked out of the building still arm in arm each holding their Tarisian Ales. Carth gave her a questioning look, "So what exactly did happen to Yun?"

Sage smiled, "Don't worry, Yun is fine. I shorted out the lighting controls in the bedroom…he was drunk enough that he shouldn't figure out the "switch" until daylight. By then, he won't remember anything anyway."

"You are a wicked woman."

"I try," she replied with a grin.

Carth gave her an appraising look and looked away with a smile.

"What?" she asked.

He chuckled, "Somehow I think even a drunk man would be able to tell the difference between you and Sarna in the dark."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just say the two of you have…different assets," he replied.

Sage smiled, "Different assets, eh? Like what?"

Carth caught the challenging look in her eyes and realized that they were having this conversation…for real. "Uhhh…well…she's taller than you…that's all." He swallowed hard.

"Taller? That's all?" she questioned.

"Well, and your hair is different. She has blond hair."

"It would be dark, he wouldn't even see what color her hair is," she was enjoying this.

"Well, yeah, but yours has soft, silky curls," he explained.

Sage had a huge grin on her face, "Soft and silky, huh?"

Carth blushed, "Can we talk about something else?"

They walked a little further when Sage spoke up, "I don't think I properly thanked you for taking care of me after the crash."

Carth tried to protest, "Please, like I said, -"

She interrupted, "I know, you'd do it for anyone. The point is, you did it for me, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it. So thank you."

"You're welcome."

Carth and Sage enjoyed their walk back to the apartment. They laughed together over light-hearted conversation, forgetting about suspicions just for the moment.

* * *

Sage awoke early with another pounding headache. She decided to perform her morning ritual of caf and sorting out the previous days spoils.

Once done, she tried on one of the Sith uniforms she took from the party the night before. When she placed the helmet on, she all of a sudden felt as if she couldn't breathe. She couldn't get the helmet off fast enough. She fought to catch her breath and calm her nerves. She stared at the helmet. _What was that all about?_ She tried a couple more times. It took a while, but she was finally able to put the helmet on without panicking.

She then had a devious idea. Clad in the stolen uniform, she crept into the bedroom and over to Carths bed. She leaned close to his face and shouted, "Name, Rank, and Serial Number!"

Carth shot out of his bed with blaster in hand and shot her in the right thigh. She let out a pain filled cry and dropped to the floor. He stood there staring at the fallen Sith with his blaster pointed toward its chest.

Sage grabbed her leg in pain, "YOU SHOT ME!"

She scooted back to lean up against her bed and removed the helmet. Carth gasped, "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

Sage stared at him in disbelief, "You shot me!"

"I thought I was shooting a Sith!" Carth exclaimed.

Sage looked down at her leg, "I can't believe you shot me."

Carth knelt down to inspect the wound, "What were you thinking?"

"Well I certainly wasn't thinking that Captain Paranoia had a friggin blaster under his pillow…or that he would shoot first and ask questions later," she shot back. Sage berated herself, _I can't believe he really _did_ hide it under there._

* * *

Thanks to loyal reviewers Adrianna, Starwarsfangirl, & OnasiMagic...I tried to give Carth a little break in this one.


	8. Lower Taris Part 1

Disclaimer: I'm only offering my version of the events. Everything else is owned by Lucas and Bioware.

Sorry for the long delay…game dialog was messing with my creativity.

* * *

Dr. Forn was able to treat the blaster wound with ease. He was going to ask how she got the wound, but he had learned by now that it was best not to ask when it came to these two.

After leaving the med clinic they grabbed something to eat and then ducked into an alley to put on their uniforms.

* * *

They made it past the guard and into the elevator to the lower city. They removed the uniforms after stepping out of the elevator.

It didn't take long until they stumbled across a street fight. They had heard about the gang war, so they weren't too surprised. When the fight was over, the victors immediately turned on Sage and Carth. They worked well together to take down the remaining gang members.

Sage collected the weapons, "I know we can cover more area if we split up, but I think it might be best if we stick together down here."

Carth was a little surprised to hear her admit such a thing, but agreed. "Which way do you want to go."

Sage looked around, "I'd like to find a place we might be able to stash our stuff. I really don't want to haul these uniforms all over the place."

Carth agreed, "Let's find a spot close to here so we can grab it on our way back up. I'm sure that won't be the last time we'll need those things."

They found an apartment building close by and started searching for an abandoned apartment that they could secure their things in.

They were able to find one that had a strong box with an encrypted security system. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, so they were certain it hadn't been used in a while. They read the story of the Twisted Rancor Trio, which held the clues to unlocking the box.

"It seems everywhere we look, there's some influence of Davik. I wonder how long it will be before _we_ run into him," Carth mused. "Do you think this plan of Matrik's will work?"

"I don't see why not. I'm not sure how much it will accomplish in keeping him out of hiding. He'll still need to escape detection so Davik doesn't realize he's been fooled."

"Well, hopefully we'll be long gone before that happens. You keep this up and there will be a bounty on your head as well."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Sage said under her breath. _Why doesn't that surprise me_, Carth thought.

"I'll just download this story from the computer and then wipe the system. That way we can use it and nobody else will be able to get the clues. I don't think whoever left it will be coming back for it." Sage proceeded to work at the computer console.

Without looking up, she directed Carth to the box, "Why don't you get the Sith armor and extra weapons out of my bag and put them in the box."

Carth looked at the bag laying on the floor but made no move towards it. After a few moments, Sage looked up to see him staring at the bag, "Is there a problem?"

Carth looks up at her with a cautious look. She catches on and chuckles, "Well you've already been through it, what difference does it make at this point?"

He scowls at her, but leans down to extract the items from her bag. They re-secured the box and the apartment.

After scouting out the rest of the building, they decided to look for a cantina to try to get more information about what was going on.

* * *

They found Javyar's Cantina. They both crinkled their noses upon walking in and taking in the vomit-like smell of the establishment. Sage muttered, "Let's hope we get used to that before we have to eat."

Carth muttered back, "Don't worry, I think I lost my appetite."

Upon walking into the central bar area, they witnessed an exchange between a bounty hunter and a couple of other beings. The bounty hunter was being taunted until he'd had enough and threw a flash mine in their direction, killing them all. Sage watched the encounter with interest and the man that was surprisingly the same height as her. He brushed past her without notice. She looked up at Carth, who shrugged.

They were amazed by the amount of alien beings in the lower city. It was a sharp contrast to the upper city. They ran into a young Twi'lek and her Wookie friend. They were the only friendly people they met.

Carth was disgusted by the activities in the bounty office. They were able to get all the information on the different bounties. The only one they didn't know about was a woman named Selvan. She sounded a little more dangerous than the others, but they decided to check into it regardless.

They found the least offensive area of the cantina to have dinner. The food was surprisingly good. They finished their meals quickly and sat back to have another drink before collecting their gear and returning to their apartment.

Sage was drinking her ale while studying a man in the other room watching the dancers. She took note of the scar on his cheek when he turned toward the light.

Carth watched Sage, noting that she hadn't spoken much that day.

"You're fairly quiet today."

Sage turned to face him with a half smile on her face, "Well, you did shoot me in the leg that I've had to walk on all day. So I'm not feeling all that chatty." She paused, "It's a damn good thing I had that armor on, especially since you got me in the same leg that a Sith tried to slice off a week ago."

Carth winced, "Look, I'm really sorry that I shot you. I've just been a little on edge since we got here."

"Yeah, about that, can I ask you something?"

"I'm all ears beautiful," he replied with a lop-sided grin.

Sage smiled, "I like the sound of that."

"Which? The fact that I'm all ears or the beautiful part?" he donned his most charming smile.

Sage leaned forward and tilted her head to the side, "Are you flirting with me Carth Onasi?"

He held a slight smirk, "Not really. Just a habit. You have something you'd rather I call you by?"

Sage smiled, "How about gorgeous? I like that better.

His grin grew, "I might consider it. What are you going to call me in exchange?"

She was enjoying this, "How about "handsome thug?"

He chuckled, "I like the first part of that. I'm a bit more partial to "the most handsmome pilot in the galaxy." What do you think?" He held out his arms as if displaying the goods.

She laughed, "I'll think about it."

He leaned forward to where he was only inches from her face, "Well then, I guess "gorgeous" will have to do until then, won't it?"

They held each others gaze for a moment until he thought better of it and leaned back, "Kidding aside, I bet you're not about to give up on those questions of yours." She shook her head no. "Are they really necessary?" he whined.

She sat back in her seat, "Don't be such a child. It's just a few questions."

"Oh no, how can I resist a challenge to my manly pride, huh?" he laughed, "Fine, you've made your point, interrogate at will."

She rubbed her hands together conspiratorially, "Excellent. Soon all your secrets will be mine!"

The expression on his face changed and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "All my secrets are purely of the mundane variety, unfortunately. Nothing worth extracting, though you're welcome to try." _Oh, I plan to,_ she thought.

He straightened up and leaned his arms on the table, "Let me ask you something first, though." She nodded.

"I've been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed," he continued. "Some things just don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened… from your perspective."

Sage shrugged, "I was asleep, I wasn't in a position to know what was going on."

Carth accepted that answer for the moment, "Neither was I, to tell you the truth. I was onboard as an advisor for the most part. The battle began so fast, it's anyone's guess as to what actually happened." He took another drink and stared at the glass, "We lost the ship and a lot of good people…and for what? On the hope that Jedi powers would save us, somehow. Not that Bastila had much of an opportunity to act."

He looked up, "We didn't choose that battle anyway. It got forced on us. Hell, I'm just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it."

She agreed, "Hey, I'm surprised we're alive too. Hell, I saw more Sith soldiers on that ship than Republic on the way out."

He paused a moment and studied her wondering on whether to continue with his thoughts, "Come to think of it, it's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here, isn't it? Just what is your position with the Republic fleet, anyway?"

Sage was wondering what he was getting at, "I used to be a smuggler, if you must know. I was recruited into the fleet for my knowledge."

Carth scoffed, "A smuggler? I should have guessed. Isn't it odd, however, that a smuggler who was added to the crew at the last minute, just happens to be alive."

_What is he saying?_ She narrowed her eyes, "You'd rather I wasn't?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he immediately defended. "You've more than proved yourself since the crash… We wouldn't have made it this far without you." He paused, "But still…"

"Are you implying _I_ had something to do with the crash?" she demanded, her voice raising.

"No. Well…maybe." She crosses her arms in front of her chest in a defiant manner. "Don't get me wrong, it just seems odd that someone Bastila's party requested to transfer aboard happened to survive."

She shook her head in disbelief, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

He continued, "The Jedi requested numerous things when they came aboard… hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell."

He gave her a pointed look, "Considering your connection to Bastila and the Jedi… whether you know it or not… you're presence here seems a little convenient."

She just stared at him.

He waved his hand, "I'm probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. I learned a long time ago not to take things at face value, however. And I _hate_ surprises."

_What does he think I'm going to do?_ "What do you mean by surprises?" she snapped.

Carth sighed, "I mean I have to expect the unexpected, just to be safe. For all I know, you could be using me to find Bastilla so you can turn her over to the Sith!"

Sages eyes grew wide at his statement. She clenched her jaw and fists.

He looked at her expectantly, "Well?"

Sage struggled to keep her voice even. "Oh no, please continue, you're on a roll." she replied sardonically.

Carth put his hands up in defense, "Look, it has nothing to do with you, personally. I don't trust anyone, and I have my reasons."

She raised her eyebrow in expectation. He crossed his arms over his chest, "And, no, I'm not going to discuss them. So can we just keep our mind on more important things?"

"Yes, let's do that," she bit out. She pushed away from the table.

"Good. Like I said before…" he trailed off as he watched her walk away. He sat back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. _Well, that didn't go well, _he thought. _What did you expect, _his other voice said.

* * *

They came out of the elevator back into the upper city. Sage had not spoken to him since dinner. Any attempts he made at conversation were thwarted with dead end answers. He noticed the steely look on her face and finally resolved himself to the fact that she wasn't going to speak to him the rest of the night.

_Who the hell does he think he is accusing me of having something to do with that attack. ME! How ridiculous is that? I wouldn't even know where to start. I wasn't even allowed in the map room for Sith's sake. I didn't even know where we were. I wasn't even allowed holonet access. And no wonder I'm still alive, he's the one that helped me out of there!_ She continued to fume.

Walking down the street, they ran into a group of drunks. The drunks started taunting Sage and Carth. _This is all we need_, Carth thought. Sage's patience was being pushed to the limit. After seeing how the people she'd spent her day around were forced to live, she was even more sickened by the attitude of the upper city residents.

When one of the drunks poked a finger in her chest and told her to go back where she belonged, she snapped. She unsheathed her blade with her right hand and grabbed his hair with the other. She held the blade dangerously close to his neck. She hissed, "You call me a "shlummie" one more time and I'll ram my blade so far up your –"

Carth interupted, "Okaaay, I think they get the picture, don't you boys." He stayed her arm with one hand and held the other to his holster for added measure. The man in her grip stared at her with fear in his eyes. Her cold eyes never left his. The other three slowly backed away. Carth gently pulled on her arm to move the tip of the blade away from the man's neck. A moment later, she let go of his hair with a hard yank.

The man quickly retreated with his friends. Carth sighed and shook his head, "We're fighting the drunks are we?" Sage shifted her cold glare to him and yanked her arm away from his grasp before she continued on to their apartment. Carth shivered at the chill her look sent up his spine.

* * *

Sage woke up early once again. She once again tried to grasp at any remembrance of her nightmare, but was only left with the same emptiness she woke up with. The emptiness seemed more profound as she looked upon the man sleeping on the other side of the room. She remembered their conversation from the night before. She tried to ignore the hurt his words caused. _Why do I care?_ She thought for a moment when a mischievous smile formed on her face. _By the end of the day, I'll have you begging yourself to trust me._

* * *

Carth entered the common room and stopped at the sight of Sage getting something out of her bag. She had on tight black leather pants and a form fitting dark purple tunic. _Damn that woman has a nice body._

She looked up, "I want to stop by Kebla's shop before we go back down." She gave no expression and he was unsure of whether she was still mad or not. He decided to tread lightly nonetheless.

Before getting to the lower city elevator, they ducked into an alley and put on the Sith uniforms. Once down below, they made their way to their hiding place. They met up with Matrik and supplied him with the permacrete detonator that allowed him to fake his death. It worked out for all because now they were able to collect on his bounty.

There was another apartment building that they came across that they decided to check out. They made their way through the building fighting several gang members along the way. It was here that they were able to find Selvan.

Sage and Carth thought Selvan was going to be another bounty that they would bail out. They never had the chance to offer because Selvan attacked them almost immediately.

"Damn, she was good," Sage noted while looking down at the fallen woman. "It's a shame she wouldn't listen."

"I guess some people have bounties on them for good reasons," Carth said while keeping watch at the door.

Sage finished collecting various items from Selvan's apartment. While walking out the door she stated, "I'd like to keep an eye open for that Mandalorian. He might be some use to us."

Carth sputtered, "The Mandalorian? You mean the one that works for Davik?"

"Yes."

"Are you kidding me? If anything, we make sure to steer clear of him. I highly doubt he can be of any use to us," he said as they were walking toward the only apartment they hadn't checked.

"In case you haven't noticed, Carth, we haven't made a great deal of friends down here."

"Well you can bet that my first choice of "friends" is not going to be a Mandalorian."

Sage worked on the security controls of the apartment and the door swished open, "What do you have against Mandalorians?"

His mouth dropped open. He followed her into the apartment, "How can you even ask me that?"

Sage moved towards what was probably the sleeping chamber, "Why not?"

Carth continued, "Why not? Oh, I don't know, maybe because we just finished a war with them."

"The war is over Carth. I'm sure what's left of their kind just wants to move on," she said as she opened the door to the sleeping chamber.

Carth was beside himself, "They destroyed worlds. They raided villages…killed women and child- -" They moved into the sleeping chamber and froze.

A man and a woman were tangled together on a large bed rocking frantically when they walked in. The naked couple only slowed their pace as the woman looked over at Sage and Carth with a blissful smile on her face. "Care to join us," she invited.

Sage blinked and Carth swallowed hard. He started backing out of the room but Sage didn't move, "Uh, n-no th-thank you…uh, sorry to disturb you," he said. He was almost completely out of the room when he had to reach forward and grab Sage's arm to pull her out.

She stared at the now closed door a moment longer before spotting a lock box. Carth stopped her, "What do you think you're doing?" She didn't know what he was talking about.

He continued, "There are people in here, we have to go."

Sage chuckled, "Believe me, those two aren't going anywhere."


	9. Lower Taris Part 2

Sage and Carth decided that since the Black Vulkars had been attacking them for two days, that maybe the Hidden Beks would be someone worth checking out.

They reached the Hidden Bek base and were able to talk the guard into letting them in. They stepped into a large room with people of various species walking about. Someone pointed them in the direction of a desk in the back to speak to Gadon Thek.

After calling off his Twi'lek bodyguard, Gadon offered Sage and Carth a seat. They discussed what was going on in the lower city. It was here that they finally had their first real lead on Bastila's whereabouts. The Taris season opener swoop race was in a few days, and Bastila was going to be the prize to the winner.

Sage and Carth agreed to find a prototype accelerator modification for a swoop bike. Gadon told them to look for a young Twi'lek named Mission Vao that would be able to help them find a way into the base. Unfortunately, it would involve trudging through the sewers, a thought neither Sage nor Carth found desirable. They agreed to get Gadon the Sith uniforms in exchange for security passes that would allow them to move about freely.

They went back to their hiding place to retrieve the Sith uniforms. Carth pulled the armor out of the box, "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what happens if the security pass doesn't work?"

Sage shrugged as she re-secured the box, "Then I guess we'll have to find another set."

They left the apartment. "If we can get into that base, maybe we can find Bastila before the race."

They returned to the Hidden Bek base and delivered the uniforms. Gadon eyed the blaster mark and blood on the right leg of one of the uniforms. He gave them a questioning look, "Do I even want to know how you got this armor?"

Carth looked at the damage and flushed a little. "No," he said quickly. He wasn't about to explain to their new ally how he shot his partner.

Sage snickered and bid farewell to Gadon. They decided not to attempt the under city until the next morning.

* * *

They returned to Javyar's Cantina to collect on the bounties and get something to eat. Upon leaving the bounty office, Sage bumped into a Twi'lek woman, Lyn, that seemed particularly upset. After speaking with her, Sage determined that Lyn's dance partner had left her and she needed another partner in order to audition for Bib.

To Carth's surprise, Sage offered to stand in as the partner. He held her belt while she removed her boots to prepare for the audition. Before starting, Lyn pulled her into a dressing room to change.

Lyn felt the leather pants were perfect, but the tunic wasn't going to work right. They found a bronze top with thin straps and an open back. The top showed ample cleavage and there were strings on each side that met in the back to fasten it on. Sage did a few stretches to make sure the flimsy top wasn't going to reveal more than she was comfortable with. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought, _I wonder what flyboy will think of this_. She smirked at the thought.

Bib tapped a few codes on a console and music filled the room as Lyn and Sage entered. Carth's jaw almost hit the floor when he saw Sage's change of clothes. He watched with great interest as the two dancers started to flow to the music. The dance was rather simple as they became more familiar with each other. Sage turned her back to him and as she bent over, his gaze was caught on the delicate pattern of a tattoo that was hiding behind her waistband. He licked his suddenly dry lips and shifted his stance.

Bib seemed pleased with the show so far, but needed to see more. He tapped in a few more codes on the console and a much more sensual song came on. The two dancers immediately drew closer to each other and started moving with the music. Sage faced Lyn's back and the two gyrated in sync together. Sage lifted Lyn's arms above her head and moved her fingers along the tender insides. Both dancers slowly turned around so that Lyn was facing Sage's back. Sage tipped her head back as Lyn's headtails caressed her neck and dipped through the valley of her breasts while their hips moved in unison.

Carth's head was spinning. He gave up on fighting the tightness in his pants when Lyn's hands smoothed down Sage's sides and over her hips. Lyn's hands rested there as both woman leaned forward and back up as Sage caressed her exposed midriff. Malak could have walked in at that moment and Carth wouldn't even have noticed.

Carth felt a wave of disappointment when the song ended and the two women moved apart. The next song had a much faster beat. The dancers were as close as they could get without touching. They picked up the pace and started moving their bodies much faster. Carth stood in awe of the way Sage's hips were undulating.

As the music died, Bib walked over and congratulated Lyn on her performance. Lyn hugged Sage and told her she could keep the top as payment for helping her. Sage walked past Carth towards the dressing room to change. She noticed the pilots flushed expression. She leaned close to him and with a sultry voice said, "I guess it's _not_ the headtails." He tried to respond, but couldn't think of anything to say as he watched her retreat into the other room.

He took a deep breath in an effort to cool his enflamed self. _Why does she have to be so damn sexy?_ He decided to watch the Hutt in the center of the room to help gain control of his betraying body.

Sage emerged from the room feeling very smug about how affected Carth was from the dancing. He tried to be all business when she walked up to him, "Enough distractions, what's next?"

She grew a cheeky smile, "You said you wanted to _watch_, right?"

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

She couldn't help but laugh, "Dueling. You said you wanted to watch my next fight."

Carth blinked, "Dueling…right…" He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

* * *

They made it back to the upper city and retrieved everything Sage needed for her duel with Twitch. Carth watched with great interest.

"You mean to tell me that you'll be using grenades?" he asked.

"Well, actually, I haven't used grenades yet. But the last guy I fought told me that this crazy Rodian uses them. So I figure I'd better bring some of my own," she replied while adjusting the Echani armor she wanted to wear.

"Grenades, huh…this sounds like a pretty intense fight," he said.

"I imagine it will be. It is for the championship and I have no intention on losing," she said matter-of-factly. She slung her bag over her shoulder.

Carth smirked, "So you'll claim your rightful title of best duelist on Taris, huh?" Carth took her bag for her.

She smiled, "Well, no, not exactly." They left the apartment to head to the cantina.

Carth was confused. "Why not…you beat the champ, you're the champ," he said while getting on the elevator.

Sage contemplated on whether to tell him the whole story. She had not decided yet if she would fight Bendak if given the opportunity. Somehow she figured Carth would object. She settled with, "Well…yes, I'll be the champ…but that doesn't mean I've proven myself as the best."

"I thought that was the point of being the champ…you've beat everyone else…" he said in a flat voice while walking into the main street.

"Well there's another guy that retired and everyone kind of thinks of him as the _real_ champ. Twitch never beat him."

They made their way into the dueling forum after stopping in Kebla's for an adhesive grenade. If Marl was fast, Sage was sure Twitch would be faster. Hopefully adhesive would slow him down some.

* * *

Carth sat in the front row to watch Sage defeat Twitch. It was a very exciting match. Both opponents moved very fast and made great use of grenades. Sage was able to find an opportunity to use her adhesive grenade which proved to be a great advantage. She escaped the fight with few injuries…the worst being from a frag grenade that landed a little too close. Dr. Forn was able to remove the shrapnel and close up the wounds.

Afterwards, they went to the bar for a late dinner and to join the celebrations of a new champion. Needless to say, free drinks were flowing endlessly to their table.

"DEATH MATCH?" Carth bellowed. Sage didn't reply. "You're not seriously thinking of taking him up on his offer." Sage shrugged. "Sage it's a death match…one of you has to die."

"Yes, Carth, I understand the concept," she replied sarcastically.

Carth was floored. He couldn't believe she would even consider it. "You do realize that you'll be killing someone for sport."

"I would agree with you _if_ he wasn't a Mandalorian. This fight isn't about having fun for him…it's truly about the challenge," she explained.

"But why does it have to be a death match?"

"For him, it could be no other way to get the full effect. If you know that you can't die, your fighting style changes…it's like sparring. But once you're life is actually on the line, it inserts a bit of desperation into the mix. For some, it makes all the difference." She paused for a moment. "For instance…Twitch…that was one crazy bastard. He was all over the place…I wouldn't have been surprised to see him hanging from the ceiling at one point…However, if you put Twitch in a life or death situation, I'd take the skilled warrior over him any day." She continued, "He is a Rodian…They're usually cocky sons of schuttas that tend to get themselves shot."

Carth found himself agreeing with her.

"So you see, Bendak wouldn't find Twitch to be a true challenge."

"But you think that you can beat him?" he asked cautiously.

She thought for a moment, "Yes…Mandalorians are arrogant in nature. He sees me as a worthy opponent because of my skill in beating the others. However, I think he'll underestimate my will to live."

He was quiet for a few moments. She still didn't seem to get the problem with this. "But what if he doesn't underestimate you?" he asked quietly.

She pondered his question. "I suppose there's always that chance, though I find it unlikely," she paused. "But I'm not going to underestimate him either…I will be prepared to do whatever it takes to take him down before I go down."

Carth took a deep breath before trying to make her see his point. "Sage, we're not here to fight death matches…We're here to find Bastila and get off this planet…Bastila needs you…I need you."

She grinned, "I thought you didn't trust me."

"Don't be mistaken, I don't."

Sage frowned and thought for a moment. "Don't worry, Carth, I'll help you with your patriotic Bastila quest…and I'll help find a way off this planet. But once we figure all that out, I see no reason why I can't do this."

"That's not…" he sighed. "You could die."

"But I won't," she stated.

"But you _could_," he replied.

"But I _won't_," she insisted. Carth clenched his jaw, _she's so damn frustrating!_

Some more fans came to congratulate her. She politely thanked them, but tried hard not to encourage additional conversation with any of them. There was a little tension between the two of them, but it seemed to ease with the more they drank. They didn't discuss the death match for the rest of the evening.

They started to have fun and get into the spirit of the celebration. They joked and enjoyed each others company. They both felt it was a good evening to relax and toast their first real news about Bastila. They at least knew she wasn't dead, so they were given renewed purpose.

The waitress from the restaurant they ate at before the Sith party came to their table and asked for an autoprint.

She looked at Sage and Carth and said, "Please come by the restaurant any time and ask for me." She nudged Carth in the arm, "I'll make sure to get you the most romantic table in the house."

Carth blushed and Sage laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her seat. He gave her a quick scowl and looked back at the girl, "Thank you, we might take you up on that," and then gave Sage a sardonic smile after the girl walked away.

Sage's laughter faded and she drank more of her ale. Carth studied her for a moment and then narrowed his gaze, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you get a kick out of watching me sweat."

A slow smile formed on her face. _Yes I would like to see you sweat._

Carth recognized that look from their sabacc game. _There's that look again_, he broke the gaze as his cheeks warmed. _Quick, change the subject_, "Um, we have an early morning…we should probably get going."

* * *

They stumbled their way back to the apartment. They walked arm in arm most of the way as a means to hold each other up. Fortunately it wasn't too late so they had plenty of time to sleep it off.

Carth lay in bed with his arm slung over his eyes waiting for Sage to come out of the fresher to turn out the light. He thought about the day they had and couldn't help to feel renewed hope in their search for Bastila. However, thinking about the day, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about collecting bounties and what happened afterwards. He felt a warm feeling flow through him at the memory of Sage dancing with Lyn. He couldn't help but think of tracing the pattern of her hidden tattoo. _One thing's for sure, she's ruined me for cantina dancers._

He heard the fresher door open and opened one eye to catch a sight of her. She came into view wearing her night clothes. Carth let out a whimper and squeezed his eyes shut. _Why did it have to be that one?_ He could hear her shuffling around before heading towards the light switch. _Don't look at the little white shirt, Carth…Don't look at the little white shirt_, he willed himself. He felt a slight twinge of anticipation when he could tell she was almost next to him. He peeked an eye open, _ah, who am I kidding, I love the little white shirt._

He shamelessly watched as she went to the controls and turned out the lights. He closed his eyes with a sigh and smiled, grateful for the darkness.

* * *

The next morning, Sage took an extra amount of time getting ready. She put her hair in several braids and twisted them all together in the back. If she was going to be going through sewers, and fighting who knows what, her hair certainly wasn't going to get in the way.

She came out of the fresher and turned to enter the common room. She stopped at the sound of a moan coming from the direction of Carth's bed. Curious, she moved closer. There was a small amount of pre-dawn light coming through the windows that showed the outline of his form. She froze when he let out another moan. She let out a small gasp when she noticed the slight movement under the covers. She couldn't resist.

* * *

Carth was sleeping when he felt a dip in the bed. He went to reach for his blaster when he felt a warm hand stay his arm.

"Shhhh, I don't think you'll be needing that," she whispered as she caressed his arm.

Carth froze…his heart started pounding…"Sage?" he croaked out.

"It's ok, flyboy…relax…I won't hurt you," she murmured as she leaned down to place a light kiss on his bare shoulder.

He gasped at the feel of her burning kiss. She slid into the bed next to him and placed gentle kisses along his neck. She stroked her finger along his jaw and turned his head to face her. She traced the outline of his lips. "S-Sage…I don't think this is a good idea."

"I do," she whispered before catching his lips in a kiss. Her hand moved down his neck. She softly scraped her nails through the hair on his chest. _Ah hell_, he thought before deepening the kiss. He brought his left hand up to run through her silky hair, pulling her closer in the process.

She moved her fingers to circle one of his nipples; teasing it until it hardened…he shuddered. She broke the kiss and smiled against his lips. She slowly moved her hand down further to the waistband of his sleep pants, teasing along the edge. She placed tiny kisses along his jaw towards his ear. She slipped her hand beneath his waistband. She wrapped her fingers around his waiting manhood just as she drew an earlobe into her mouth. He moaned and bucked his hips forward.

She released his earlobe and paused to whisper something in his ear.

"Dreaming about me, flyboy?" she said in a husky voice.

Carth's eyes shot open wide and he jerked his head to his right side to see Sage sitting on her haunches next to his bed with sparkling eyes and a huge grin on her face.

He couldn't breathe for a moment as reality set in. He remembered her kissing him and him kissing her back, and then her hand… He quickly turned his back to her to hide any evidence of the nature of his dream. "Don't flatter yourself," he groaned.

Sage chuckled softly and left for the common room. _I wish I had dreams like that._

* * *

Carth tried to adjust the shower controls to a colder temperature, but it did nothing to quell his aching desire. _Why am I doing this? I can't be thinking about this. This is ridiculous. I've worked with plenty of women before, why is this any different? _he thought. _Because she's hot_, his other voice said.

He decided that he needed to get the pent up frustration out in order to keep his mind where it should be. He pushed the memory of his dream aside and tried to think about something else. He thought about a dancer at the cantina, but Sage kept appearing in his musings. _Don't think of her, think of the other one_, he chided to himself. He kept trying to push thoughts of her out of his mind, but he couldn't help it as he groaned out his release.

He leaned back against the wall of the shower and sighed, "I've got to get away from that woman."

* * *

A/N: Being my first fic, I'm uncertain about ratings guidelines. If any of you can give me your opinion on whether this chapter is T or M, I'd really appreciate itto help gauge future chapters. 


	10. Undercity Part 1

A/N: Adrianna – Yes, it was a dream…glad you liked it.

* * *

Carth started his day with renewed purpose. He couldn't deny his attraction to Sage, but decided that was it…mere attraction. After all, she is a beautiful woman with fine attributes, but beyond that…they're partners. Soon they would find Bastila and get off Taris. Then he'd go back to the front lines and Sage would go somewhere far, far away. He put his shoulders back, chest out, head up, and walked out of the fresher.

Something hard slammed into his chest. "Try this on," Sage instructed.

He looked down at the combat suit in his arms, "Don't we have anything better than this?"

"I've already fitted the Echani to myself. It would take too much time to get it adjusted to your size. We have the Republic, but I don't think that's a good idea," she explained.

He pulled on the suit. Sage moved behind him…too close, "Here, let me help you with the fastener."

He practically jumped away from her, "No, no, I got it."

She shrugged and went into the common room. He reached for the fasteners and realized to his dismay that he couldn't. He twisted and turned to try to get it hooked on. He took it off and examined it, making a few adjustments. He tried again. He sucked in his chest, tried letting it all out, laid on the bed, nothing worked. His body temperature went up from the embarrassment of the situation. _Why would they put the fastener there, of all places_, he thought with frustration. _Damn!_

He swallowed his pride and walked into the common area. Sage was putting compressed bedrolls in her bag. He coughed, "Um…" His face flushed. "I, uh…" he looked away.

She smirked and walked behind him to fasten the suit. She put a little extra force into each movement and returned to her bag with a smug look. He refused to look at her.

* * *

The security papers worked with no problems at all. They stepped out of the elevator onto the bare ground of the Undercity. The air was stale with a sulfuric stench. They were immediately affronted by some vagrants demanding money. Sage studied them for a moment before handing over five credits. Carth scoffed, "You do realize you just got mugged by unarmed men, don't you?"

Sage rolled her eyes, "It's five credits, Carth."

"Um, hello," a tiny voice said.

They turned to look at a woman standing in front of them. She introduced herself as Shaleena. The woman seemed very eager to talk to them. Carth began to comment on the "welcoming party," but was stopped by the glare he received from Sage.

Shaleena didn't have much information, but directed them to two others in the little makeshift village. Gendar was the apparent leader. He explained the appalling legal system on Taris. Sage and Carth were shocked to hear that many of the people in the Undercity were imprisoned there because of crimes committed by their ancestors. People like Shaleena had never even seen the sky.

Of course, with all areas of hardship, someone has to provide hope. That someone was Rukil. He was an elderly man that seemed to resort to senseless rambling. They didn't understand much of what he said, but understood that he wanted to find his missing apprentice.

"You know, that man is borderline senile, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't really have an apprentice," Carth murmured as they walked away.

"If we find her, we find her…If we don't, we don't," Sage replied.

They walked in the direction Gendar told them to go in order to find Mission. Unfortunately, it was toward the sewers. The smell grew more rancid the closer they got to the gate leaving the Outcast village.

The gatekeeper didn't want to let Sage and Carth through for fear of the rakghouls. But when a man outside was being threatened, he let them through to assist the man.

The two of them stood staring down at the being now dead on the ground. It was hideous with gray skin and bulging eyes.

"I can't believe that thing was humanoid at one time," Carth said.

Sage looked on, "And it was vicious…that's a bad way to go."

Carth nodded in agreement, "So as long as we don't get bit, we're ok?"

Sage shrugged, "I guess so."

They were distracted from their musings by shrieking noises off in the distance.

"That's more of them, isn't it?" Sage asked.

Carth nodded and took a deep breath, trying to quell the feeling of dread that came over him. They took a look around and realized the stench was partly due to the numerous corpses scattered about. Carth had a whole new level of sympathy for the people of the Undercity that had to live in such close proximity to the open graveyard before him. He unsnapped the strap to his backup blaster before they continued exploring.

They heard a young voice cry out for help. Carth instantly ran in the direction of the voice. It turned out to be the Twi'lek girl they were looking for. Her Wookie friend had been capture by gamorrean slavers and she needed help finding him. Sage agreed to find him, but not before Mission agreed to help them into the Vulkar base.

Mission led them in the direction of the sewers when they were attacked by a pack of rakghouls. Mission seemed fairly handy with a blaster and was a great help in defeating the beasts.

* * *

Soon after, they saw a Republic escape pod in the distance. Sage and Carth were anxious to get over to it.

"Wait a minute, what about Zalbaar?" Mission asked.

"Don't worry Mission, we'll find him. But we have to see if there's anything in that pod that might help us down here," Sage explained. She didn't want to go into too much detail by explaining just how they arrived on Taris in the first place.

Mission was hesitant, but followed nonetheless.

As they approached the pod, they spotted a man standing next to it. He was surrounded by mines and they were careful to move around them. Carth was the first to reach the man. Upon recognition, Sage stayed in the back, out of the man's view. _What are the chances_, she thought.

"Please, you have to help me," the man cried.

"Panos?" Carth said in disbelief.

The man, who appeared to be a little disoriented, squinted his eyes until he realized who was there, "Captain?"

Carth took a step closer, but Panos stepped back, "Stay back."

"Panos, it's alright, we can help you. Are you hurt?" Carth said.

Panos' eyes were glazed and he started to shake, he pointed to the remains of a rakghoul lying on the ground, "That one…that's the one…who do you think it was?"

Carth was confused, "Panos, are you hurt?"

Panos stared at the creature on the ground. "It got me," he whispered.

Carth glanced at the form and back to Panos, "Lieutenant, what are you saying?"

Panos looked up at Carth with a blank expression. His gaze shifted to something behind Carth and his eyes grew wide in fear, "YOU! No, no…you stay away from me." He started backing up further. His eyes darted around looking for a way out.

Carth spun around to see what was causing the distress. He saw Sage standing there with a smug look. He furrowed his brow and looked back at the lieutenant, "Panos, it's only Sage. We're here to help you."

Panos shook his head, "No, no, she's going to kill me. That's what she's going to do." Carth couldn't help but feel a bit of alarm over the man's animosity toward Sage. He glanced at her again, but she seemed to express indifference.

Carth put his hands out in front of him, "Lieutenant, nobody here is going to hurt you." He looked over the man to see if there were any visual signs of injury. He noticed dried blood on his tunic. "What happened to your side?"

Panos looked down and studied the stain. He lifted up his tunic to get a better look. Mission shrieked at the sight of the gray flesh coving his torso and the whitish outline of a gash in his side. Carth and Sage froze as they realized Panos had been infected with the disease.

Sage dug through her bag in search of a medpac and antidote kit. She pulled them out and stepped towards Panos, who was still staring at his side trying to comprehend what happened. When he sensed Sage draw near, he jumped back and drew his blaster. She stopped. His hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Let me see if I can help you," she said softly.

"I don't want any help from you, bitch," he stated firmly.

Sage straightened herself up and clenched her jaw. Carth had no idea what was going on. He thought these two were friends. _Hell, more than friends. I'm obviously missing something here_.

She spoke, "Listen you sexist core slime, you deserved what I did to you. Nobody pushes their way into my quarters and demands anything from me. You're lucky you're still alive. Now, if you want to stay that way, I suggest you let me help you."

Carth was taken back at this new piece of information. The realization of what really happened after the sabacc game the night of the attack set in. _I never thought he'd go that far._

Panos wavered and stared at her. The blaster dropped from his grasp and he started shaking. Nobody else moved. A noise emerged from Panos that began deep inside him. It erupted into a blood curdling scream. His body was shaking uncontrollably, his chest heaved, and his eyes bulged. The skin around his neck started swelling. He grasped at his collar and tore it open. He grabbed the rest of his clothes and shredded them with his now claw-like fingers.

Mission screamed at the sight of his rapidly changing form. Arms and legs were now gray. He ripped out his hair and his face contorted as if in extreme pain. He let out an ear piercing shriek and lunged at Sage.

Four blaster shots rang out and the being formally known as Lieutenant Nico Panos fell lifeless to the ground.

Carth re-holstered his blasters and walked up to a frozen Sage. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?" She blinked a couple of times and nodded once, staring at the creature at her feet.

He walked over to a cowering Mission and squatted down to place an arm around her shoulders. Mission's lekku quivered as she fought the tears threatening to spill over, "I've never watched it happen before."

* * *

The three of them moved off in relative silence, unable to shake the images of what just happened. They came upon another pack of rakghouls. The creatures were taken down quickly.

"Mission, you know the sewers fairly well, don't you?" Sage asked.

"Like the back of my hand," Mission responded.

"Is it possible that the rakghoul population has increased in the past week or so?" Sage asked.

"Oh it sure has, between those escape pods coming down and the people trying to scavenge stuff from them."

Sage nodded.

"Sorry, I guess you guys knew some of those people, huh?" Mission asked.

Carth cut in, "Yeah, about that…Mission, we're trying to keep a low profile. If you wouldn't mind keeping our identity to yourself, we'd really appreciate it."

"Sure thing," she replied with a shrug.

* * *

They found a protected area and stopped to eat some ration bars. It was now late afternoon and they still had a long way to go. While checking out the area, Sage found a body of a young woman. She nudged it with her foot some and discovered a datapad.

"Well Carth, maybe the old man's not so crazy after all," she said as she walked up to him handing him the pad.

Carth looked it over, "This only proves that he really did have an apprentice. The rest of this doesn't even make any sense."

After their rest, they headed toward the entrance into the sewers. Once they made it inside, they entered an opening that had three doors off of it and water flowing through the middle from above. They were met with several gamorreans and rakghouls who were fighting each other. As soon as Sage, Carth, and Mission stepped in, the others attention quickly shifted to them.

The gamorreans were the tougher ones to fight, but the rakghouls were everywhere. Each of them was trying to fight a gamorrean, while keeping the rakghouls from getting too close. Sage and Carth were standing side to side when a rakghould jumped onto Carths back and sank its teeth into his right shoulder. Carth let out a yell and fell to the ground. Sage quickly thrust her blade into the side of the rakghoul. She and Mission eliminated the last rakghoul before prying the dead creature off of Carth. Its teeth ripped Carth's flesh as it came loose and he let out another agonizing cry.

The two females helped him into a sitting position. Sage knelt down by his right side, "Keep still, flyboy, let me see what we have here." She tried to gently pull his armor aside to look at the wound. Carth winced from the pain of the movement.

"Was it claws or teeth," he asked.

Mission shook her head, "Teeth…not good."

Carth stiffened, "Does that mean I'm infected?"

Mission just stared at him. Sage said, "Look, Dr. Forn said that there _is_ a serum."

Mission added, "Sure there is, the Sith patrols carry it when they come down here."

Sage nodded, "Then we'll have to find one."

"Somehow I doubt they're just going to hand it over to us…especially since they haven't released it to the general public," he said.

"We'll just have to deal with that once we find a patrol," Sage said. "Can you stand?"

Mission and Sage helped Carth back to his feet. "How much time do we have Mission?" Sage asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I do know that we won't find a patrol in here. We'll have to go back towards the village."

Carth looked at Mission, "Are you sure about that Mission…what about your friend?"

"After seeing what happened to that guy earlier, I don't want that to happen to you too. Just promise me we'll get Big Z as soon as we find the serum."

"Promise," Sage stated.

* * *

The three made they're way back out toward the village. They ran into another pack of rakghouls. It was a little more difficult with this pack because Carth only had full use of his left arm. He was also starting to get dizzy. Sage steadied him when he stumbled. She walked him over to a rock for him to sit on.

Carth shook his head, "I'm no use to you like this. I'm just going to hold you back."

Sage nodded in agreement, "Let's get you to the village."

Mission blurted, "NO! You can't take him to the village."

"Why not," they said in unison.

"Once they find out he's been bit, they'll put him in quarantine…unarmed…with others that have been infected," she explained. "There's no telling how long they've been in there. Most of the time the newer ones end up being killed by the ones that turn before them."

Carth's heart started racing as he tried to come up with a solution.

"Follow me," Sage said as she helped Carth to his feet. They found their way back to the protected area they found earlier.

Carth sat down on the ground while Sage took another look at the wound. The area around the wound started to whiten.

"Mission, do you know how to set mines?" she asked.

"You bet I do," Mission said.

Sage started digging through her bag to pull out the numerous mines she had collected, "Somehow I thought these would come in handy."

Carth looked at her questioningly, "What do you plan to do?"

"We're going to set a perimeter around you. Whatever you don't hit with your blaster will be taken out by the mines. We'll set every one that we have to give us enough time to get back to you," Sage explained.

Carth grabbed her arm with alarm on his face, "What if you don't get back in time?"

Sage replied, "You're really good with that blaster, flyboy. I think you'll be able to hold them off."

Carth shook his head, "That's not what I mean…what if I…turn."

Sage looked at him thoughtfully, "Panos was down here for a week before we found him. Chances are he wasn't bitten moments before we got there. From the looks of that creature, it had been there for a while."

Carth tightened his grip, "I don't want to go like that, Sage."

"You won't," she assured him.

"Promise me you'll kill me before it happens," Carth begged.

"So you at least trust me enough to kill you," Sage said with a smirk.

He thought about what she said and let out a small chuckle, "Was there ever a question?"

Sage and Mission set two lines of charges in a semi-circle around where Carth sat up against a wall. Sage took one last look back at Carth and gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He nodded his goodbye.


	11. Undercity Part 2

A/N to Reviewers: Cliffy? That was nothing. Give me about 4 or 5 chapters for a big one. ; )

* * *

Carth sat against the wall trying to keep his shoulder in a position that didn't cause too much pain. They had decided to keep the armor on. Removing it may have increased his blood flow, hence spreading the disease further.

He heard a rustling sound coming towards him and steadied his blaster in that direction. _Why couldn't it have been my left shoulder?_ He trained his eye on the shadow coming around the wall and then the gray creature that came into site. He fired three shots and the creature went down. Three more came running in. He kept firing until his charge was spent, taking down two. Fortunately the other was taken out by one of the mines.

Carth breathed a sigh of relief as he replaced his energy cell. He wondered how many more he was going to encounter before Sage got back. _If she comes back_, he thought. He got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was from the venom running through him or the thought that he was currently at _her_ mercy.

* * *

The two females explored the area outside the village thoroughly. They searched every body they came across. Sage could tell that Mission was getting antsy. Their search was taking a long time and she was worried about her Wookie friend. 

"It's just…we haven't been apart…since we met," Mission finally spoke.

"So how did you guys meet, anyway?" Sage asked.

Mission went on to tell her the story of the first time she saw Zalbaar. It seemed to lift her spirits a little to talk about him. Sage half-listened and continued searching. Mission prattled on for quite a while, which helped pass the time. However, when Sage asked about the brother she mentioned, Mission clammed up real quick stating, "Let's just get back to the business at hand, okay?" Sage smiled to herself, _Carth's going to like her._

Sage felt relief when she spotted a Sith patrol. She looked over at Mission who saw them too. Mission nodded her readiness.

They stepped out of the shadows and one of the troopers spotted them. He immediately came over to ask them to state their business. Sage told him they were just trying to salvage stuff from the escape pods. The Sith scoffed in mild disgust. He warned them to keep a watch out because they had already lost a patrol that day.

Sage pondered her options. This patrol probably had the serum on them, but there was another one down somewhere. She checked out her odds…four Sith troopers against her and Mission. She glanced at the young Twi'lek standing next to her and then addressed the trooper, "Thanks for the warning." _Maybe if Carth was here, but not Mission._

She hoped she made the right decision not to attack the patrol and headed in the direction the trooper mentioned.

To their relief, they found the slain Sith. Sage ripped through the armored corpse and found the serum, "Thank the force."

* * *

Carth tried to rest his head in his hand to quell the dizziness. He had already shot a few rodents and an imaginary enemy. His shoulder was on fire and it felt like it was burning the whole way down his arm. He couldn't think clearly and his ears were ringing. 

He heard another sound and quickly fired in the direction it came from. Sage quickly jumped out of the way of the blaster bolt fired her way. She stood behind a wall and yelled out, "Carth, it's Sage…you don't want to shoot me again, do you?"

Mission snapped her head to look at Sage in alarm. Sage shook her head and waved her hand as if to brush it off. "It was a misunderstanding," she whispered. Mission didn't seem convinced.

"Carth?"

"What," he mumbled.

"Can I come out?" she asked.

He muttered something that she didn't understand, but figured it was safe. She and Mission walked towards him and deactivated the mines that were still active. She glanced around the area and noticed the dead forms lying about, "I see you've been busy."

He harrumphed.

She studied him for a moment before approaching, "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" he snapped.

She knelt down in front of him. She could tell he was exhausted and highly agitated. "I found the serum, but we need to get you back to the village before I can give it to you. Mission said there's a healer there that may be able to split the dose so we can hopefully use it on more than one person."

He didn't respond. "Carth, did you hear me?"

He nodded. He waited for a moment and moved to get up and winced from the pain. Sage and Mission rushed to his sides to help him up without putting pressure on his shoulder.

* * *

Once inside the village, they waited while Mission ran off to find the village healer. She returned with a tall woman with dark hair who introduced herself as Esala. 

"Is it true, you really have the serum?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, is there somewhere he can rest?" Sage asked.

The woman led them to a small dwelling with a pallet on the floor. They helped Carth down to it. Sage lit a glow stick and worked with the healer to divide the serum.

Sage said, "I'm going to have to take some with me to give to Dr. Forn. He should have the means to reproduce it."

Esala looked up, "Do you mean Zelka Forn?"

Sage nodded, "Yes, do you know him?"

Esala looked away, "Yes…but it's been quite some time since I've seen him."

They continued working.

Esala spoke again, "How is he?"

Sage looked over at Carth who had his eyes shut and a rather unattractive scowl on his face, "Hard to say, he always looks like that."

Esala smiled, "No…I meant Zelka, Dr. Forn…how is he?"

"Oh, he's fine. He's helped us out a lot since we arrived. He's a very nice man."

Esala looked almost wistful, "Yes, he always has been."

They finished up the injectors and approached Carth. Sage helped him sit up and unfastened his armor. She and Esala worked together to get the armor off without moving his shoulder too much. Sage reached to unbutton his tunic and he smacked her hand away. "I can do it," he insisted. She shook her head.

Once they helped him out of his shirt, Esala injected the serum and a pain suppressor into his right arm. The area immediately around the wound was white. Outside of that, his skin was gray half way down his bicep. Esala cleaned the wound and covered it with a kolto patch.

Carth closed his eyes and sighed, "I think it's working."

He started shivering and swayed a little. Then he slumped forward and passed out. Sage and Esala caught him and gently laid him back down. They covered him with a blanket that Mission had found and tucked another under his head and shoulder.

* * *

As they emerged from the dwelling, Esala addressed Sage, "I'm not sure what you did to get that serum, but he and the rest of us are very grateful." 

"Mission mentioned that you had a quarantined area."

Esala sobered, "Yes, we do…but it's way too dangerous to go in there. They've been affected longer than he has. There's no telling when they'll turn."

"How many are in there?" Sage asked.

"Five," Esala replied.

Sage looked at Mission, "You up for it?"

Mission shrugged, "Sure."

Esala objected, "Oh, no, I can't let you in there…certainly not with a kid."

"Hey, I ain't no kid," Mission almost yelled.

Sage smiled and looked at Esala, "Don't underestimate her."

Mission gleamed at that statement.

Esala gave in and showed them to the quarantine area.

Three of the infected villagers turned just as Sage was about to inject the first one. Sage quickly jumped back and she and Mission were barely able to defeat them. They were able to get to the other two in time.

Some other villagers helped get the now passed out victims to another dwelling close to Carth's so that Esala could watch over them.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on him. I have to warn you though, he can get feisty," Sage said. She handed Esala an injector from her bag, "If he gets too bad, give him this. That should put him out until I get back."

Esala eyed her warily, "What is it?"

"Just a little something Dr. Forn gave me to help me sleep," she explained.

"How long will you be?" Esala asked.

Sage thought for a moment, "Hopefully not more than two hours."

* * *

On their way out of the village, Sage stopped by Rukil's tent and handed him the datapad she found. "I'm afraid your apprentice didn't make it." She started to walk away. 

Rukil called after her, "Wait, I must speak to you."

Sage said over her shoulder, "Sorry old man, I have to go."

Rukil tried to catch up and yelled, "Please, upworlder…there are two more journals."

Sage and Mission kept walking.

"Ok Mission, let's go find your Wookie."

"Finally."

* * *

Sage and Mission headed towards the entrance to the sewers. On their way they ran into the Mandalorian Sage saw before. He introduced himself as Canderous Ordo. They talked briefly about the activities in this part of the city. Canderous told them that most of the escape pods have already been picked apart by the Vulkars. 

One of the men with Canderous looked to be in his late teens. He moved closer to Mission, looking her up and down. "Hi Mission," he said with a breathy voice. Mission fought down the bile that rose in her throat, "Ugh, Doeman."

Before long, a pack of rakghouls approached. The large group defeated the creatures, but not before one of the Mandalorians men was killed. After that, Canderous wasn't interested in talking any more.

Before he left, Sage stopped him. "Hey, if any of your men would be interested in earning a few extra credits, we could really use the help."

Canderous thought for a moment and turned to his men, "Shifts over boys, you're free to join her if you want."

"I don't think so. I'm ready to get out of here," one of them said.

"I'll go!" Doeman enthusiastically replied. Mission groaned.

Canderous snorted, "Fine by me."

Sage thought for a moment. She really didn't like how the kid was looking at Mission. She walked around him as if circling her prey. She stood directly in front of him, "If you even think about laying a hand on her, I'll feed you to the fiends."

He swallowed hard, but he didn't back out, "Understood."

Sage pulled Mission to the side, "Are you okay with this?"

Mission shrugged, "Hey, as long as he keeps away from me…"

Sage nodded, "I think it's best he doesn't know what our plans are after we find Zalbaar. Carth should be better in the morning, so we won't need this guy after tonight. As far as he knows, we're looking for our friend."

Mission nodded in agreement.

* * *

The three departed towards the sewers. As they entered, Sage told them, "Datapads and weapons are mine…you guys can split the credits. You got that Doeboy?" 

He snorted derisively, "I got it." Mission snickered.

They searched every corner of the sewer systems in search of the Wookie. They met with gamorreans, rakghouls, and even a few droids along the way. Even Mission was thankful that Doeman came along to provide the much needed extra firepower. Doeman, for his part, kept a respectable distance from Mission.

All three were wet and dirty. It was very late at night and they were tired. They encountered a force field that nobody could hack through. Mission said the Sith put it there and even the gamorreans wouldn't be able to get through it. She felt confident that Zalbaar wouldn't be in that direction.

Soon after, they entered into a large room with a couple of doors off of it. One door had an old lock on it that Mission started working on. When the door opened, a gang of gamorreans rushed out swinging their axes. The threesome was surrounded. Mission and Doeman fired their blasters and Sage slashed her way through their opponents. She tried to help the other two, but was unable to break free from the two gamorreans she was fighting. A towering Wookie came rushing out and threw the gamorreans aside that were surrounding Mission. Sage finally defeated her opponents and rushed to Doeman's aid. She distracted one, and thrust at another a little too late. Doeman fell to the ground with an ax lodged in his back.

After the rest were defeated, Sage squatted next to the young man. She sighed and reached down to close his vacant eyes, "Sorry Doeboy."

Mission approached, shaking her head, "Davik's not going to like this?"

"Why?" Sage asked.

"That was his nephew," Mission explained.

Sage moved her mouth in a silent, 'Oh.'

Zalbaar stepped up to thank Sage for rescuing him. In exchange, he swore a Wookie life debt to her.

Sage rebuffed, "Oh, no, I can't accept that."

Zalbaar insisted.

"Look, you don't even know me," Sage said.

"/That doesn't matter, Marin Sage. You have proven your worthiness by freeing me from my oppressors./"

"The fact of the matter is that I only did it because I need Mission's help," she explained.

"/Your reasons matter not/" he insisted.

"Look, it's late and we're all very tired. Let's get back and get some rest. We'll discuss this in the morning," Sage told them.

_Carth's not going to like this._

* * *

By the time they made it back to the Outcast village, it was very late. Most everyone had retreated into their dwellings. Esala was asleep against a crate outside the dwellings she was tending to. Sage placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

"You're back. Did you find your friend?" she asked.

Sage motioned toward Zalbaar, "We did. Would you have a place they can rest for the night?" She shrugged out of her armor.

"Of course," she replied.

Sage looked towards the opening to Carth's dwelling, "How is he?"

"Well, you were right about him being feisty. He woke up very agitated and half delusional. It was everything I could do to keep him in there, let alone give him the sedative. I gave him more pain suppressor and he passed out again."

Sage thanked her and went to see Carth while Esala found a place for Zalbaar and Mission to sleep.

* * *

After the last shot from Esala, Carth was feeling no pain. He had been asleep when he heard voices outside. The voices subsided and a figure appeared in the doorway, illuminated by the dim lights from outside. 

When the figure stepped into the light of the candle next to his pallet, he sighed. _Beautiful._ He watched her kneel down by his left side with a weary smile.

"You came back," he said.

She said something, but it didn't register. He studied the features of her face…the arch of her brow, the line of her jaw, the color of her lips. She leaned over him to examine his wound. She pulled back the patch and apologized if she hurt him. He didn't feel it.

He didn't notice the smudges on her face, the dampness of her clothes, or the odor that emerged from them. All he noticed was how the light of the candle danced in her emerald eyes that were just inches from his.

She replaced that patch with a fresh one and when she went to pull back, he grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked at him with a questioning look. He moved his hand to the back of her neck and gently pulled her forward to brush his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

"I _was_ dreaming about you," he said as he laid his head back down. He smiled lazily, closed his eyes, and passed out again.

Sage was stunned. She slowly backed away from him, never taking her eyes off of him. She was looking at him like he was a vornskr ready to attack. She stumbled over her bag and nearly fell to the ground. She stood outside the entrance trying to make sense of what just happened. She touched her fingers to her lips, remembering his lips on hers. _Did flyboy just kiss me?_

_

* * *

He did kiss me, she thought. __What the hell was that? He _was_ dreaming about me? When was that? Just now?_ She thought of that morning when he was having a seemingly enjoyable dream. Her eyes grew wide. _No, he couldn't have been talking about THAT dream. _Her head was buzzing and she started pacing about. _But he practically hates me. Just two days ago he accused me of sabotaging the Endar Spire. He hasn't stopped watching me since I woke up from the crash. _She stopped pacing and swayed a little._ Damn, I'm tired._ , she thought. was She thought of that morning when he was having a seemingly enjoyable dream. Her eyes grew wide. Her head was buzzing and she started pacing about. She stopped pacing and swayed a little. 

"Sithspit!" she spat. _I have to get some sleep_. She looked around. _Where the hell am I supposed to sleep?_ She looked over at the dwelling Carth was in. _Ohh noo_, she groaned to herself. She took a deep breath and grudgingly walked into the small abode.

She kept one eye on the sleeping form as she dug a bedroll out of her bag. She laid it out as far away from the pallet as she could. She removed her boots and laid down facing him. She watched him a little longer before sleep claimed her…_nerfherder!_ was her last thought.


	12. Undercity Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It belongs to Bioware and Lucas.

* * *

The next morning, Carth woke up to a throbbing headache. He tried to remember everything that happened the night before. His eyes opened wide and his head snapped to his right to look at his shoulder. He peeled back the kolto patch and looked at the wound. It looked better than the last time he saw it. He decided to find out what was going on. He slowly sat up and looked around. He saw Sage lying on the ground sleeping.

He took careful measures in standing up. He looked around and found his tunic. The shoulder of it was ripped up and stained with his blood. He pulled it on and stepped outside.

A tall woman with dark hair approached him, "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, better…I think," he said.

"Well, you certainly look better. May I look at your shoulder?" she asked.

He hesitated, "I'm sorry…you are…?"

* * *

Esala explained as much as she could about the events of the night before. She re-dressed his wound and introduced him to the other two victims. He ate with a small group from the village and was able to find some gray water to clean up with.

He was getting rather impatient and wanted to get moving again. He went back into the dwelling he spent the night in to find Sage still sleeping on the floor. He hated to wake her. According to Esala, Sage didn't return to the village until the middle of the night.

He looked upon the sleeping form with a soft expression. He chuckled to himself, _Man, she looks like hell…and she doesn't smell too good either._ He knelt down at her side to wake her. He thought of the night before. He felt a little ashamed for assuming something had happened between her and Panos. If he would have trusted his original instincts, he would have known better. Although, he chose not to dwell on the relief he felt that she hadn't slept with the lieutenant…especially after witnessing the horrific demise of said man. A fate that would have been his own if it weren't for this woman. He studied her features. She was dreaming again. This one seemed a lot milder than the others. She even had a faint twitch of a smile.

_

* * *

Flashback – 20 Years Ago, Jedi Temple, Coruscant_

_He sat back on his heals. She knelt down in front of him, "Okay, let's try it."_

"_What," he flinched back. "No way, I'm not kissing you."_

"_Come on, Mal, I want to see what the big deal is," she coerced._

"_Just once?" he said while looking at her from the corner of his eye._

_She rolled her eyes. "Of course just once, we don't have all night you know," she replied._

"_All right," he said._

_They awkwardly leaned towards each other with exaggerated puckered lips and kissed each other quickly._

_They sat back. "Anything?" she asked. "Nope," he shook his head._

"_Hmm, maybe we have to do it longer," she suggested._

_He shrugged and they tried it again, pressing their lips together for a few seconds._

"_How about that time?" he asked. "Nothing, I don't get it," she said._

_The pair shrugged and ran off to find something else to do._

* * *

Sage woke to a soft hand on her shoulder and the murmuring of her name. She opened her eyes to see soft brown ones looking back at her. She smiled at the sight of the handsome face and closed her eyes again. She stretched languorously on her bedroll, forcing herself out of her slumber. She relaxed a moment with a sigh.

As realization set in, her eyes sprang open. Her body and mind shifted to wide awake and well aware. Her expression hardened and she narrowed her gaze on the man beside her.

Carth had never woken Sage up before, so he really didn't know how she would react. However, he didn't expect to see the hostile look on her face. He put his hands up in defense, "Hey, I'm sorry to wake you, but we really need to get going." He stood and left.

Sage sat up, _Oh no, he's not getting off that easy_. She moved to the end of the bedroll and pulled on her boots. She stood up and walked out into the village. She searched for her target and zeroed in on him. She began her approach when she was stopped by a small voice, "Um…Excuse me."

Sage looked to her left to see a woman standing there. Her face was pale and her arm was in a sling. Sage recognized her as the woman they pulled out of the quarantine area the night before.

The woman shifted nervously under Sage's gaze, "Are you the upworlder that found the serum?"

Sage nodded with a confused expression. She spoke to the woman the night before and had personally administered the serum.

The woman continued, "Well, I, uh…I'd like to thank you for saving us. I'm not sure what all happened, but I was told that I was near turning before you arrived. I'm forever grateful for your compassion."

Sage didn't know what to say, "Um…how are you feeling?"

The woman relaxed a little now that Sage had finally spoken to her, "I'm a little tired, confused, and sore," she said lifting her bandaged arm a little. "We're trying to piece together the last few days to find out how long ago I was bitten, but I haven't been much help."

Sage furrowed her brow, "You mean, you don't remember?"

The woman shook her head, "I'm afraid not."

Esala walked up to them and addressed the woman, "You should really be resting."

The woman nodded and looked back at Sage, "Thanks again upworlder." She turned and walked back over to a small group of villagers.

Sage looked at Esala, "She says she doesn't remember?"

Esala shrugged, "It seems that none of them do. They all remember being attacked, but beyond that, nothing."

"So he doesn't…" she asked, motioning towards Carth.

"No. In fact he's been rather anxious for you to wake up so that you can tell him more of what happened last night."

"I see," she said distractedly. Esala looked at her curiously, but was called away before she could say anything.

Sage looked away in thought, _He doesn't remember kissing me. _She thought about whether that changed anything. _Hmph…how convenient for him._ She turned and went back into the dwelling.

She picked up her bedroll and folded it back up. She jammed it back into her bag.

"Sage," came a voice from behind her.

Sage stiffened. Without turning around, she said, "I just need a minute to myself, if you don't mind."

Carth let out an exasperated sigh, _Damnit woman!_ "Fine!" He turned and left.

Sage sat down on the pallet. She rubbed her hands over her face. She sighed deeply and stared at the floor. _Now what?_ She contemplated on telling Carth that he kissed her the night before. The whole experience had her feeling a little off. Now certainly wasn't the time to get into a discussion over it. It was just a kiss and he _was_ apparently delirious at the time. That explained a lot in itself. He wouldn't have done that if he were in his right mind. Of course, that didn't explain his confession of dreaming about her. She thought about that with a slight frown. She wasn't repulsed by the idea by any means…Carth was an attractive man…She just had a hard time understanding him.

* * *

Carth approached Sage with caution when she emerged from their dwelling, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Grab your stuff, I'll get the others." She slung her bag over her shoulder and brushed past him.

He ran after her, "Wait, the others? What others?"

She stopped, "Mission and Zaalbar."

"Mission and who?" he asked.

She sighed impatiently, "Zaalbar…her Wookiee friend."

She started walking again when he called out again, "Just wait a minute, will you?"

She stopped again but didn't face him. He moved to stand in front of her, "Would you mind filling me in on last night's events."

She tipped her head down and rubbed her eyes while yawning. "Look, why don't I just tell you the basics now and the details later…We found Missions friend. Now she's going to help us find the Vulkar base. We need to get that accelerator by tonight because the race is tomorrow. Now, can we go already?"

"We can, but then I want some answers," he said and returned to get his things.

* * *

On the way to Mission and Zaalbar's dwelling, Sage came upon Rukil. She set her bag in front of him and knelt down to dig through it. She pulled out several datapads until she found the two she was looking for. She stood up and handed them to the elderly man, "Are these what you were looking for?"

The man looked over the datapads. His eyes grew wide in amazement. He looked up at Sage with a wondrous expression, "This is it…you found it…you've saved us all."

"What are you talking about?"

Rukil went on to explain that the journals told of a passage to "The Promised Land." The two journals along with the one she already gave him detailed the location of said passage. He ran to Gendar to show him the findings. Gendar confirmed that he knew of where to start looking. They were to spend the day gathering their things and begin their long journey the next morning.

Rukil was to study the journals while Gendar went to inform the others. By the time Sage found Mission and Zaalbar, the whole village was in an uproar.

"Geez, what happened here," Mission asked, looking in awe at the people moving about excitedly.

"They believe they've found a way out of here," Sage explained.

Mission and Zaalbar collected their things and they went to find Carth.

"You don't mean the Promised Land?" Mission asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Sage said.

"Whoa, this is big. I've been hearing about the Promised Land since I got to Taris. I can't believe it's real."

They reached Carth and began preparing for their day in the sewers. Sage pulled on her armor and Carth waited expectantly for her to fasten his. Sage found minimal armor the previous night that she was able to talk Mission into wearing.

"How long have you been on Taris, Mission?" Sage asked.

"I don't know, about nine years," she answered.

"You came with your parents?"

"No, I guess my parents died a long time ago. It was just me and Griff," Mission said.

"Griff? Your brother?"

"Yeah, I…I was a little snappish when we last talked. I'm sorry about that. I get a little touchy when it comes to Griff. It's kind of embarrassing telling people about him."

"Embarassing? Why?" Sage asked with sincere curiosity as she re-twisted her braids.

"It's complicated. Griff wasn't the most popular guy, he had his faults. But I still loved him, you know? Sometimes people don't understand. I never knew my parents, my brother always looked out for me. I was just a kid, only five, when he brought me to Taris. But I remember the trip – if you could call it that. We were stuffed inside a packing crate in a star freighter's cargo hold with just enough food and water to make the trip. Not exactly first class, you know?"

Sage and Carth exchanged a wary glance, "You were stowaways?" It was more a statement than a question.

Mission shrugged, "I don't know the whole story…I was pretty young. But my brother owed a lot of money. Might even have been a few arrest warrants out for him, I don't know. The only way to get off the planet was to smuggle ourselves out. I mean, I don't want to make it sound like we were criminals… well, maybe my brother was."

Mission had Carths full attention. She let out an exasperated sigh, "See, this is why I don't like to talk about it. It makes Griff sound worse than he really was. My brother had his problems, but he always looked out for me."

Sage un-sheathed her blade to clean it. "What kind of problems did your brother have?" Sage asked.

"He gambled. And drank. And he was always borrowing money for his latest get rich quick scheme. But he had a good heart, you know? He taught me how to survive. He showed me how to slice into a computer's security system; how to get inside a locked building without the entrance codes, and how to spot a wealthy mark for a quick shell game."

Carth had an incredulous look on his face. Sage paused and raised an eyebrow, "Pretty handy skills to have, Mission."

"Yeah, Griff did right by me," Mission said proudly.

"I really miss him since he left. I keep hoping he'll come back some day. He promised me he would," Mission said as if she was trying to convince herself as well.

Sage turned her attention back to her blade. "Griff doesn't sound like he's big on keeping promises," she said under her breath. Carth nodded in agreement as he started checking his energy cells.

Mission was immediately defensive, "Why do you got to go putting my brother down like that? That's just mean!" She huffed, "Besides, it wasn't his idea to leave! He fell in with a bad crowd. It's all Lena's fault. She's the one who took him from me! Just batted those long lashes at him and off he went!"

_Sounds to me like _Griff_ was the bad crowd_, Sage thought. "Who's Lena?"

Mission placed her hands on her hips, "I don't want to talk about Griff and Lena – just the thought of that space tramp makes my blood boil! Subject's closed as far as I'm concerned! If I'm going to be any help to you I can't be worrying about my brother running off with some intergalactic skank! So, is there something else you need?"

Carth raised his eyebrows with a smirk. Sage had to stifle a chuckle. "No, no, that was all," she said with a smile.

Her smile faded as she watched Mission sit down with her own blade and scrub at an imaginary spot. _He's not coming back, Mission._

* * *

Before leaving the village, Esala handed Sage a datapad, "These are all the notes I've taken on the rakghoul disease. I thought that Zelka would be able to use them. Would you mind giving them to him?"

Sage accepted the datapad, "Is there anything else you'd like me to tell him?"

Esala looked away and sighed, "Just tell him…tell him to take care of himself."

Sage looked at her thoughtfully, "Esala, why are you here?"

Esala looked at the ground, "I, um…I just wanted to help people. I was Zelka's…assistant at the time." She looked over at a group of villagers preparing a basket for their journey. "There was an unusual outbreak of the Dantari Flu here on Taris. At the same time, there happened to be a shortage of the antibiotic used to treat it. I believed that Davik Kang was the cause of both. I was so sure…and so desperate to find proof. I, um…broke into Davik's estate. I foolishly underestimated his security system."

"It's a wonder they didn't kill you on sight," Sage observed.

"They did detain me, but Zelka used every resource he had. If it were up to Davik, I'd be dead. But he agreed with the Tarisian authorities to send me here instead. Zelka's been at odds with Davik ever since," she explained. She paused, "I owe him my life."

Sage nodded slowly, "That would explain why Zelka was so adamant about me not going after the virus."

The healer nodded.

Sage glanced over at her waiting group, "I have to go," she said.

Esala placed her hands on Sage's arms, "We owe you so much, Marin Sage. I don't know what brought you to this planet, but I thank the force you are here." She dropped her arms and held out her hand. Sage took it and smiled, "Take care."

When Sage pulled away, Esala stopped her, "Sage…I know it's none of my business…and you can take it for what it's worth…but, he was very worried about you."

She nodded slightly and returned to her companions.

Esala watched as the travelers headed back to the sewers. She watched the man and the woman in particular. _I'm sure those two have quite an interesting journey ahead of them._ She smiled and returned to pack more supplies.

* * *

Sage started to fill Carth in on some of the previous night's events. Mission explained that the force field they encountered the night before was the entrance they needed to use. She said she knew how to get through, but didn't want to let Doeman know that.

"Who's Doeman?" Carth asked.

Sage winced at the memory of the fallen boy, "He was someone I hired to help us out last night."

"I hope you didn't tell him anything!" Carth said.

"Well…it wouldn't really matter if we did," Sage said.

Carth shot her a nervous look, "Why?"

"Because he's dead," Sage said.

Carth eyed her with suspicion and in a low voice asked, "What happened to him?"

Sage didn't miss the silent accusation. "Oh, I didn't want him blabbing who we were, so I took him out," she said sarcastically.

Carth tightened his jaw and gave her a disapproving look, "That wouldn't surprise me!"

She harrumphed.

* * *

When they reached the force field, Sage laid out the plan the way she saw it while Mission worked on deactivating the shield. They would break into the Vulkar base and find the prototype accelerator. After that, they would all go their separate ways.

\ Marin Sage, I have sworn a life debt to you. I will not be leaving your company. \ Zaalbar stated.

Sage sighed, "Look, about that…I just really don't think that's a good idea."

\ Do not dishonor the life debt by refusing me. You will bring great shame to me by doing so. \

Sage put her arms up in defense, "Hey, I'm not trying to dishonor anything…I just think that maybe you should get to know someone a little better before you make that kind of decision."

Carth was looking from one to the other in utter confusion. Not being able to understand Shyriiwook held him at a great disadvantage.

\ You proved yourself worthy of a life debt when you risked your life to save mine. I will not leave your side. \

Sage squeezed the bridge of her nose. _How am I going to get out of this?_

Carth pulled Sage to the side so that the others couldn't hear, "What was that all about?"

"Well, it seems that since I released Zaalbar from the slavers, he, in return, has pledged a life debt to me," Sage explained.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Well, he swears to protect my life with his own," she said as if it were obvious.

"So…he's going to stay with you?" he asked.

She nodded. "For how long?"

She shrugged, "Apparently until one of us dies."

"WHAT?" Carth couldn't believe it. He thought maybe all they had to do was buy the guy dinner or something, which in itself would be quite an expense, being a Wookiee and all.

"So now we have to get _him_ off the planet too?" he asked.

"Well…him _and_ Mission," she said.

"Mission?"

"She won't leave his side."

"So we're stuck with both of them?" his irritation was evident.

"Hey, I don't know what you're all worked up about. I'm the one that has to live with this," she said.

"Isn't there some way you can get out of it?" he asked.

"You don't think I've tried?" she paused. "Oh wait, you would probably expect me to kill him or something, right? Because I'm just that kind of person," she said sardonically.

Mission cheered her success and Sage turned abruptly to head through the passageway. Carth stood there for a moment, _I…_ he sighed.

* * *

They encountered a few more gamorreans and rakghouls when they entered into the lower sewers.

After defeating a small group, Mission decided to ask Carth a few questions, "Hey, Carth. You're a pilot for the Republic, right?" He nodded hesitantly. "You've been all over the galaxy I bet, right?" He nodded again. "So tell me, how would you rate Taris compared to other worlds you've seen?"

Carth studied her a moment before answering, "I'll be honest, Mission. Taris would rate pretty low. The prejudice, the rich spoiling themselves while the poor are crushed beneath them…not a pretty picture."

Mission tried to defend her home, "Yeah, but that's only since the Sith occupation. Before that…," she paused to think about it. "Well, I guess it wasn't all that different, really." She seemed to realize something, "Hmm….maybe Taris ain't as great as I thought, you know?"

"Trust me, Mission. There are a lot of worlds better than Taris. There are worse, too. But Taris is no place for a kid to live on her own…even a kid who's got a Wookiee to look out for her," he explained. _Wrong answer_, Sage thought.

Mission yelled, "Hey, I ain't no kid! And I look out for Zaalbar as much as he looks out for me. Big Z's my friend, not my babysitter! Geez, I come ask you a question and you give me a lecture!"

Carth couldn't believe this kid was talking to him like that, "Don't you snap at me, missy! You want a lecture? How's this: only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a simple comment."

Sage smirked, "You're not going to take that from him, are you Mission?" Carth shot her a look that said, 'stay out of this.' It made her smile more.

"I don't have to listen to you, Carth! You ain't my father…though you're sure old enough to be! So keep your lectures inside your withered old head, 'cause I don't need 'em!" Mission bit back.

Sage turned her head away at the 'old' comment. _She doesn't hold back._

Carth huffed, "And I sure as hell don't need this. Let's just drop it and get back to what we were doing."

"Fine by me," Mission said.

* * *

They reached the end of a long passageway when Sage bent down to study the remains on the ground. Carth hung back in thought. He didn't miss the implication that he was old. He didn't feel old, but he didn't realize he was at a point in his life that teenagers considered him to be. He _was _old enough to be her father…and that thought alone was enough to weigh heavy on his heart.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Sage yelling, "RANCOR?"

"Oh, yeah, didn't I mention that?" Mission said.

Sage stared at her, "There's really a rancor in there?"

Mission nodded sheepishly.

"A full grown one?" Sage asked.

Mission winced and nodded again.

Sage took a deep breath. Mission added, "I've gotten past him before."

Sage shook her head, "That was you…we're talking four of us…one being a more than two meter tall Wookiee…kind of hard to sneak him anywhere." She started pacing while looking over the datapad and the vile she retrieved.

"There's no way we can fight it," Carth added.

Sage pointed to the arm on the floor, "Not unless you want to end up like that."

"What's that?" Carth asked pointing to the vile.

Sage held up the datapad, "It seems the Beks thought they had an idea to get around it. However…," she looked down at the remains, "I don't think it worked out too well for that guy."

She closed her eyes and stretched her neck from side to side, rubbing the back. It reminded Carth of her short night, _That must be why she's so touchy today_.

"All right," Sage started, "let's see what we're dealing with…I'll hit the door controls…everyone quiet and be ready to run like hell."

She walked over to the controls and the door slid open. They peeked in to see the rancor's attention at the other door. Sage scanned the room. There was a pile of what must be the rancor's leftovers. She crinkled her nose at the thought. Then, setting her bag down, she had an idea.

Carth saw Sage lean over and whisper something to Mission. Mission took off her stealth belt and handed it to Sage. She put the belt on and retrieved a grenade from her bag. He grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing," he hissed.

She pulled her arm from his grasp and said, "Trust me, Carth. I know what I'm doing." _At least I think I do._ She moved a meter away from him and activated the belt. He wasn't quick enough to stop her before she disappeared. He clenched his fists, _Damn her!_

He waited nervously as the most infuriating woman he'd ever met in his life walked into a rancor den. He watched the room for any sign of her.

She made it to the pile of bones in the middle of the large room. She placed the grenade in the pile and poured the contents of the vile onto it. She quickly moved away to where the others were waiting.

Before she got there, the rancor smelled the odor coming from the pile. He moved quickly to it and grabbed at what he thought was his prey. Moments later, a muffled explosion arose from within him as he let out a ground shaking roar. He staggered a few steps and then fell lifeless to the floor.

The four travelers watched in amazement from their hiding place. Carth looked over at the now revealed Sage, _She must think she's invincible_.


	13. Black Vulkar Base

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It belongs to Lucas and Bioware.

* * *

After destroying the rancor, they confronted two guards outside the elevator to the Vulkar base. Sage snorted while removing the belongings of the fallen gang members, "How would you like that guard post?"

The others didn't answer. "I mean, come on," she continued and pointed down the direction they came from. "How many times do you think they looked down that hall and wondered if that rancor could fit through it? Who do you have to piss off to get _rancor_ duty? Somehow I don't think these guys will be missed."

Carth smiled to himself, _Leave it to her to think of something like that._

They decided it was time to stop and eat a little. Zaalbar ate four ration bars himself, but everyone knew that wasn't nearly enough for the big guy.

Carth sat quietly eating his ration bar. He noticed Sage seemed annoyed and, for some reason, he had a feeling it had something to do with him. He tried talking to her all morning, but she just brushed him off. He hadn't even had a chance to properly thank her for saving his life the night before. He knew she was tired and he didn't feel comfortable enough around Mission and Zaalbar to have a conversation that would probably lead into an argument.

He decided to stop thinking about it in order to prepare for their next move, "Mission, you've been in the base before, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I've been in there," she replied.

"Can you give us a rough idea of the layout?" he asked.

Mission used different objects on the ground to describe the layout. Carth laid out a plan for the others. Sage commented that Zaalbar's bowcaster was good, but his strength was needed close range. Carth agreed and pulled a vibro-blade and sheath off one of the fallen Vulkars and gave it to Zaalbar to use instead.

Mission said that she knew how to use a blaster, so he thought that would be best for her. Carth found Mission to be a very capable fighter, but he cringed every time he saw her run right in the middle of the battle. _A blaster should keep her back some._

* * *

There was a guard droid outside the elevator when they emerged. Zaalbar picked it up and threw it up against a wall, smashing it to pieces. Sage and Carth smiled in satisfaction.

They fought their way through the base. They only encountered two friendly people along the way. One was an enslaved waitress who showed Zaalbar where the food storage was while the others picked through footlockers.

The other was a Vulkar who begged for his life and gave them the location of the accelerator. He also informed them that Bastila was being held somewhere outside the base, but he didn't know where.

* * *

Once they found the necessary pass cards to disable the elevator turrets, they headed in the direction of the garage to retrieve the accelerator. On their way, they passed the armory. They defeated the two guard droids to gain entrance to the room. Sage opened a footlocker and formed a huge smile on her face when she pulled out a mesh protector, "This is perfect…and look at these grenades…are these plasma grenades?" Her excitement was evident.

Carth couldn't fight his amusement to see Sage look like a little kid in a candy shop. His amusement faded with her next statement.

"Bendak uses plasma grenades. This mesh will fit right under this armor," she paused to open another container. Her eyes went wide, "Now I _know_ these are concussion grenades." Her thoughts were racing. She was already planning out the duel in her head.

Mission started, "Whoa, wait…you mean Bendak Starkiller?"

Sage nodded with a grin.

Mission's eyes went wide with excitement, "No way…you're the Mysterious Stranger!" She was practically jumping with joy, "Are you really going to fight Bendak?"

Sage risked a glance at Carth, who was glaring at her. She met his gaze and smiled with confidence, "Yes I am!" He seemed to growl, which made her smile more. _Why do I like bugging him?_

"This is so big!" Mission said. "When's it gonna be?"

Sage shrugged, "I'm not sure, I have to talk to Ajuur to find out."

"I've got to find a way to watch that…I'm sure it will be broadcasted…" she continued to think of a way she would be able to see it.

* * *

Sage was anxious to go to the garage. She didn't remember ever seeing a swoop bike before and wanted to see what she was getting herself into. There was a whole row of bikes when they entered the garage.

"That's it?" asked Carth.

Mission confirmed, "That's it."

"But, there's barely anything to it…how fast does it go?" he asked.

"_Fast_," Mission said.

Carth watched Sage examine one of the bikes. She sat on the seat and bounced a couple of times on it. She grabbed the handlebars and bent forward as if she were riding it. She sat back up and took a long look at the machine around her. She nodded her head, "This might be f--."

She was interrupted by blaster fire coming in their direction. Sage dove from the bike while the others ducked for cover behind the other bikes. Carth and Mission provided cover while Sage and Zaalbar snuck closer before jumping out at the men firing at them.

After defeating the three men, they decided to use a little more caution in moving about the rest of the garage.

* * *

Upon entering a secured room, they met a group of four Vulkars. It was the first group they encountered that didn't attack on sight.

A Twi'lek male turned out to be Brejik's second in command, Kandon Ark. He tried to convince Sage to turn on Gadon Thek and join the Vulkars. He went as far as to suggest to Mission that she had been mistreated by the Beks. Sage grew impatient and interrupted his speech, "Are you going to give us the accelerator, or do I have to kill you for it?"

Kandon sighed, "I can see there's not much chance of convincing you to come work for us after all. Most unfortunate."

His supposed bodyguard, a female Twi'lek, asked, "Now can I kill them, Kandon?"

He replied, "Yes, darling. Kill them. Kill them all." Those were his last words.

* * *

Sage retrieved the accelerator. She glanced at Mission who had a sad expression on her face. She walked over to her, "Hey, you alright?"

Mission looked at the ground, "Yeah, just thinking about what he said is all."

Sage looked down at the fallen Kandon and frowned, "Mission…he was trying to rattle you…he really didn't want us to join them, he just didn't want us to take the accelerator. This swoop race is a big deal for these guys. Whoever loses is going to lose more than a race. Personally, I prefer the gang that hasn't been trying to kill us ever since we arrived in the Lower City."

Carth added, "You know, Mission, when we needed help, you were the first person Gadon recommended. Believe what you want about the rest of the Beks, but Gadon Thek respects you."

Mission smiled, feeling much better after the pep talk, "Thanks guys, you're right…Kandon was just trying to save his own butt."

Sage started walking towards the door, "Ok, let's get out of here…I need a shower."

At that statement, Mission seemed to be reminded of Zaalbar's appearance. They continued to argue as the group walked towards the elevator. Sage was just about to say something when shots were once again fired in their direction. They ducked behind a wall.

Carth peeked out and confirmed that a sentry droid had detected them. They all activated their shields. Sage handed each of them ion grenades before moving out of their hiding place.

She covered half the distance to the droid before she couldn't move any further, _FRACK!_ She was frozen by the droids cryoban weaponry. She stood there frozen while the other three assaulted the droid. She watched as Mission was also frozen. She was released from her cold imprisonment just as Carth met the same fate. She dove out of the way before the droid was able to hit her again, essentially wasting one of his charges. By the time she reached him, Zaalbar was hit as well. The droid switched weaponry which told Sage that his other was spent. She was joined by blaster fire as the others were released and eventually defeated the droid.

Sage, Carth, and Mission were all shaking while Zaalbar was swatting the ice from his fur.

"Damn!" Sage said. "After all of that, we were almost taken out by one droid!" She tried to rub the circulation back into her arms as she moved over to a set of footlockers.

Mission worked on the lock of one. When she pulled out its contents she gasped.

"What is it?" Carth asked.

"Uh…hey Sage…when you said I could have any credits I found, I don't think you thought we'd find this." Carth shot Sage a questioning look upon hearing the deal she made with Mission. Sage ignored it and looked in the box.

She raised her eyebrows, "Wow." She thought for a moment, "You know Mission, you and Big Z really helped out today…the least we can do is to let you have that."

Mission's eyes grew wide, "Are you serious?" Sage nodded.

Carth looked at the large amount of credits in the box and frowned. He knew they'd probably need those credits to get off Taris, but he had to agree that Mission definitely deserved it.

* * *

On the way out of the base, Mission walked ahead with Carth. They apologized to each other for the fight they had that morning. Sage watched with interest as the two exchanged playful insults regarding the others' age. _He doesn't look that old to me…looks pretty good actually._

The weary travelers made their way to the Hidden Bek base. Sage walked up and set the accelerator on Gadon's desk.

Gadon looked at the accelerator with satisfaction. He called over one of the Beks and had him take it to the garage where the mechanics could install it on one of the bikes.

He then informed Sage that she would be the one testing the highly volatile prototype. He was certain that if it performed properly, she would win the race. Sage contemplated the proposal. Her best odds of getting Bastila would be if she actually won the race. She really didn't want to have to negotiate with a Vulkar or Bek if either won the "prize." So she agreed. Gadon told her she could stay at the base that night.

The four travelers returned to the Upper Taris apartment to get cleaned up.

* * *

Sage wasn't shy about being the first to jump into the shower. She stood under the hot water washing away all the dirt, grime, blood, and who knew what else from her hair and body. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bunk. However, more important than sleep was hunger.

She waited in the common room for Carth to finish getting cleaned up. She talked about the plan for the evening with Mission and Zaalbar. Everyone was hungry, but Sage thought Carth should see Dr. Forn before descending to the Lower City. Mission and Zaalbar wouldn't be allowed in the Upper City cantina, so they decided to split up for the night. Sage gave them the access code to the apartment so that they could meet back there the next day.

When Carth entered the room, Mission was planning her evening, "Tonight's a big night on Taris."

\ Aargh, Mission, I do not wish to get involved in tonight's festivities. \

"Come on, Big Z…how can we miss it?" Mission coerced.

"Miss what?" Carth asked.

"It's the night before the season opener…the Lower City will be crazy tonight and tomorrow…there's going to be people everywhere," Mission explained.

Sage quirked an eyebrow, "So…all the gang members go out into the street and boast about how they're going to win?"

Mission nodded, "Oh yeah, there's a lot of that going on."

Carth said, "Sounds to me like a good night to get shot…or stabbed."

Mission agreed, "Well, you'll always have that."

"Listen Mission, if you're interested, Carth and I won't be here tonight…you guys are welcome to crash here after you eat," Sage suggested.

Carth wasn't sure how well he trusted the girl and the Wookiee, but the thought of her roaming the streets in the middle of the pre-race events didn't seem right. "I'll be back here in the morning, maybe we can catch the race on the holoset."

Zaalbar seemed to like that idea much better. By the time Sage and Carth left, Mission was already testing the holoset to make sure they could watch the race.

* * *

On the way to the cantina, Carth took the opportunity to talk since they were alone, "I want to thank you for what you did for me last night. You saved my life."

Sage smirked with a wink, "I would have done it for anyone."

He chuckled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome…how does it feel?" she asked pointing to his shoulder.

"It's still sore, but much better. The whole experience was so strange…and I don't know whether it was the venom or the serum, but it's the strangest hangover I've ever had. Everything is real fuzzy. The last solid memory I have is you and Mission setting those mines."

Sage didn't respond.

"Was I even coherent when you came back?" he asked.

Sage was getting a little nervous with his questions, but proceeded with caution, "You were firing at everything that moved by the time I got back. I'm not sure how many cells you went through, but there were small rodents lying everywhere…you were still coherent, though."

"When did that part change?"

"You seemed to lose it on our way back to the village," she explained.

"Then what?"

"We gave you the serum and you passed out," she said.

"The healer said I woke up a few times, was I even aware of what was going on?" he asked.

"Um…I'm not sure…Esala said you were delusional when she spoke to you," she said while quickening her pace.

"Did I speak to you at all? Did you think I was delusional?" he asked.

"Well…um…I'm not really sure if you were or not, to be honest," she said.

Much to her relief, he seemed content with that answer.

* * *

Bendak was waiting when they walked into the cantina. Sage told Carth to find a table while she finished her conversation. He grudgingly agreed.

Carth found a table in the corner and ordered drinks for them. He had already finished his first drink before Sage found him.

He studied her a moment, "Did he tell you anything?"

"No, he said I had to talk to Ajuur."

"That's all he said?" Carth thought she was gone for a long time just to be told to talk to someone else.

"I wasn't really there to talk about the duel…I wanted to get a good look at that armor he wears," she explained.

"I guess he does have a bounty on his head…could explain why he wears it everywhere," he said. "Did you talk to Ajuur?"

"No, but I need to before we leave."

Carth thought about the race. He found the idea of the prototype exploding a little disconcerting, "So you're not worried about the accelerator?"

"Not really," she said before taking a drink of her ale.

Over their meal, they discussed the plan for the next day. Carth wouldn't be allowed on the swoop platform, so it was up to Sage to retrieve Bastila. He seemed nervous about that and it didn't go beyond her notice.

"I want to discuss something with you," she stated.

"You do? Fair enough. What do you want to discuss?"

"I want to talk about these issues you seem to have with me."

He sighed, "I knew you wouldn't understand where I was coming from. Let me try to explain." He paused to take another sip of his drink, "You're probably one of the most skilled women I've ever met. You've saved my butt more than once and I'm lucky you're here to help me, no question. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching you or being wary. I'm just not built that way. Period."

She furrowed her brow, "And what, exactly, are you watching me for?"

He shrugged, "I don't know that, yet. Like I said before, it's probably nothing. But I've been betrayed before by people and I…well, it won't happen again, that's all."

She snorted derisively, "So you want some guarantee that I won't _betray_ you!"

He leaned back in his seat, "I don't know that you'll betray me. But there are no guarantees…not for you, not for me. You don't have to take it personally."

She thought for a moment and then decided, "No, I do take it personally!"

He crossed his arms across his chest, "Well, that's too bad, then, because I'm not going to change."

She scoffed, "That settles that, I guess." She got up to leave.

Carth stopped her, "Why is whether or not I trust you or anyone so damned important to you? Why…why do you even care?"

"Don't worry, I don't," she said firmly.

"Could have fooled me," he said under his breath. He reached for his drink.

Sage turned to leave, but decided otherwise. She turned to face him with half a smirk on her face. "You know what, Onasi? Here's something for you to chew on…in your state of delirium last night, _you_ kissed me."

Carth gasped and started coughing over the ale that went down the wrong way. Sage watched with a smile.


	14. The Race

Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding the universe I'm writing about. It all belongs to Lucas and Bioware.

* * *

Sage left to go talk to Ajuur the Hutt, leaving a stunned Carth, _I kissed her?_ He shook his head in disbelief; _I can't believe I did that..._ He sighed, _Yes, I can, why wouldn't I? _He put an elbow on the arm of his chair and covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. He sat there a moment trying to absorb everything. He couldn't make any sense of it, and finally started to laugh. _Oh what I'd do to remember the look on her face._

He sat back to finish his drink, a sly grin on his face, _Well, it must not have been too bad, I'm still alive._

* * *

Sage was enjoying her brief victory over Carth. She walked through the cantina with a smug expression. She was sure that when she returned from talking to Ajuur that Carth would be too embarrassed to even look at her. 

She walked toward the table they were sitting at, but Carth appeared half way. He met her gaze dead on and said in a low voice, "Are you ready to go?"

Sage was struck by the seductiveness in his tone. Her smug look disappeared and she did her best to hide the smile of pleasure that was threatening to appear. She simply stated, "Yes."

* * *

The two walked along the city streets. Sage couldn't figure out how the tide had changed so fast. Now _he_ was the one with the smug look and _she_ was left trying to figure _him_ out. _He seems almost proud of himself._

Carth spent enough time around Sage in the last couple of weeks to know that she liked putting him off balance. He was not going to give her the satisfaction of it this time. He even went as far as to think, _I wonder what she'd do if I pinned her up against a wall right now_. His smile faded quickly as he thought, _no, no, that would definitely get me killed. _He didn't think Sage was the type that would welcome being pinned down. He risked a glance at her, _or maybe she would_, he thought with a smirk. _That's enough, Onasi, you keep this up and you'll need another cold shower. _He shivered at the thought.

* * *

Dr. Forn approached them when they entered the med clinic, "I was wondering when I would see you two again. I couldn't believe you could go two full days without an injury." 

Carth looked around sheepishly, "Well…I wouldn't say that."

The doctor looked confused. He looked over Sage and didn't see any visible injuries. Sage noticed and smirked, "Oh, it's not me this time." She looked over at Carth, "Take it off, flyboy."

The doctor looked expectantly at Carth, who all the sudden became shy over the attention.

Sage waggled her eyebrows, "Oh come on, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

The doctor raised an eyebrow at that statement.

Carth grumbled while removing his tunic and sat down on a bed so the doctor could look over his wound. He had never seen a wound quite like it before and didn't know what it was. Sage dug through her bag and pulled out a hard case and a datapad to hand to the doctor.

Dr. Forn opened the case and found a vile inside. His eyes grew wide and he looked quickly at Carth's shoulder again, "You mean…that?...this?...can it be so?"

"Oh it's _so_, alright," Carth said.

The doctor stood in awe looking over the wound. He hesitated to touch it. His gloved hand hovered over it as he asked for permission, "May I?"

Carth nodded.

The doctor ran his fingers over the ridges of the wound, checking for tenderness. He ran over to a table and grabbed a few tools, "With your permission, I'd like to run a few tests."

"Go ahead," Carth said.

The doctor had Carth lay back so that he could secure his arm, "I need to be sure that you don't move while I do this. I'd like to take a tissue sample and don't wish for you to be harmed in the process."

After the doctor collected what he needed, he directed Sage to apply an ointment to the wound while he took samples of Carth's blood.

Sage sported a devious smile and spread the ointment onto her palm. Carth swallowed hard as he recognized her malicious intent. He stilled his breath and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. His muscles tensed on contact…but the pain never came.

Sage massaged the ointment into his shoulder with soothing strokes. His muscles eventually relaxed and he let out the breath he was holding in a long sigh. He felt a tingling sensation that seemed to ebb away the dull pain he had been feeling all day. _This is some ointment_, he thought.

The feeling was so good that he barely noticed the prick in his left arm where the doctor was drawing blood. Once the entire wound was covered, the sensation stopped and Carth opened his eyes to see that Sage was finished. He was anxious to free his arm from the restraint to see how well the ointment really worked.

The doctor placed the blood in a few vials to process and picked up the datapad to look over the notes. He absentmindedly walked over to release the restraints. Carth sat up and rotated his shoulder with a sigh of relief, "Ah, I can't tell you how much better that feels."

Dr. Forn looked up from the notes and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Carth's shoulder. The white ridges that had formed the wound were now much softer and flesh colored. The perforations in his skin were closed up. The shoulder looked nearly healed. The doctor furrowed his brow and grabbed his own datapad to make notes. He couldn't understand how the simple ointment could have reacted to the wound so quickly. He decided to study it the next day with the tissue sample he collected.

He turned to Sage, "I'd rather you didn't tell me where you got the serum. However, I'm very interested in reaction times and symptoms associated with the disease. These notes are quite extensive, where did they come from?"

Sage looked at the doctor with interest, "Actually, they came from a healer by the name of Esala."

The doctor's face showed a look of wonder and a touch of pain, "Esala." He looked back at the datapad with reverence. A smile formed on his lips and he sighed, "She's an amazing woman." He shook his head slowly, "In spite of everything she's been through, she still tries so hard to help others." He set the notes aside to review later.

"So, can you tell me how this happened?" he asked Carth.

Carth let out a deep sigh as he shrugged on his tunic and explained what he could remember of the attack and his varying reactions afterwards. Sage explained her observations of the short time she was around Carth.

"How was his demeanor?" Dr. Forn asked.

"Hmm…I would say agitated, but I'm not sure if that was because of the disease or not."

Carth added, "I think the observations we made of Panos would be better indicators."

Sage shrugged.

"Who's this you're speaking of?" the doctor asked.

Carth explained the confrontation with Panos and the changes he saw occur with his transformation. The doctor made several notes before pausing to look from one to the other. Never had he known anyone that could give him so much information on the vicious disease…let alone talk to someone who had it.

"So after administering the serum, what happened?"

"All recipients of the serum passed out almost immediately," Sage said. "The rest of the observations should be in her notes."

Sage walked over to the door in the back of the clinic. Every time she visited the doctor, she walked by this door to gauge his reaction. Today's wasn't any different. The doctor tried to direct her back to where Carth was, "It says here that he was delusional?"

"Yes, definitely delusional!" Carth said. Sage shot him a look and huffed.

The doctor furrowed his brow, "You remember this?"

"No," Carth grumbled.

Dr. Forn caught onto the tension and decided not to pursue it.

Sage changed the subject, "Ok, doc, we've been here several times…we got you your serum…why do you get all worked up every time I walk by this door."

"Well…I, um…" he paused to look at her thoughtfully. He sighed, "I suppose I can trust you." He punched in the code and the door slid open. Sage walked in with a curious Carth shortly behind. The room was lined with floating kolto tanks that were each filled with people.

One of them caught Carth's attention and he took a closer look. "These are Republic soldiers."

The doctor explained that they were pulled out of escape pods, or found near them. They were barely alive. There was nothing he could do for them except offer them their last days in peace. Carth noticed Sage stopped in front of one of the tanks. He moved closer to see the young ensign that Sage had given sparring lessons to. He was unable to read the expression on Sage's face.

He turned to thank the doctor for everything he was doing for the soldiers. He lightly placed a hand on the small of Sage's back and spoke quietly to her, "It's getting late. We need to go." She nodded in agreement and left to retrieve her bag from the other room.

Sage headed for the door and was stopped by Gurney, the medical technician. He sneered at her for giving Zelka the serum. He had informed her before that Davik would pay a high price for it. _Davik._

Dr. Forn put together a few supplies for them to take with them. He handed the supplies to Carth when they heard, CRACK!

They looked toward the door to see the medical technician on the ground clutching his nose. Sage said something to him they couldn't hear and walked out. Carth and the doctor rushed over to the injured technician.

"I tink dat bitch bwoke my nose!"

The observers eyes grew wide at the sight of the blood covering the mans face and hands. They looked at each other and Carth winced with a sheepish shrug. The doctor gave him a sympathetic nod and knelt down to attend to his employee.

Carth rushed out of the facility in search of Sage. When he caught up to her, he grabbed her elbow to stop her, "What the hell was that all about?"

Sage released herself from his grasp and continued walking, "He had it coming."

Carth rubbed his hand over his face as he followed, _Of all the people on that ship, I get stuck with the totally neurotic one? It could have been a soldier that followed all my orders, but no, I get, 'Miss mess with me and I'll kick your ass!'_

* * *

It was a cool evening and perfect for a walk. Sage was caught up in her thoughts of Tia, whom she just saw in the med clinic. The two travelers were tired and not looking forward to descending to the chaos of the lower city. Sage found a bench and sat down. She leaned back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. 

Carth wasn't sure what she was doing, "I don't think they'll let us sleep here."

Sage chuckled, "Are you kidding, I'm surprised someone hasn't tried to move us away already."

He smiled and joined her on the bench. He glanced over at her resting form. She was in a mood he hadn't seen before…pensive. He too took a deep breath of the cool night air. "I'm sorry about your friend," he said.

The corner of her lip twitched a little, "Yeah…well…at least she's not a rakghoul."

He smiled faintly, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

She laughed.

Then he remembered, "You know, the night of the attack, there was an incident reported involving her and another crewmate."

She lifted her head in interest, "What sort of incident?"

"I don't remember the details, but someone made an inappropriate comment to her and she punched him in the jaw," he explained.

A wide smile spread across her face that he found extremely contagious.

"I thought you'd like that," he said with a grin.

She laughed lightly. He enjoyed the sound of her laugh, but resisted the urge to brush away the errant strand of hair that always seemed to fall in her face.

He tore away his gaze and looked up at the night sky. He tried counting all the blinking lights, "There's more up there."

Sage looked up at the distant lights that weren't a part of the planets defense system, but rather Sith vessels. "Sure seems a waste for just one Jedi."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments longer before agreeing to go to the lower levels.

* * *

When they arrived at the elevator to the lower city, the guard gave them a warning, "It's getting out of hand down there…You may want to think twice about going." 

Sage gave him a sideways glance and waited for him to call the lift.

"I think we'll take our chances," Carth informed the guard.

"Suit yourself," the guard said as he punched in the access code.

* * *

Sage and Carth could hear the noise grow louder as they descended to the lower level. When the door slid open, they both ducked out of the way to avoid blaster fire. Black Vulkars were everywhere. Many were harassing anyone that dared to walk by. Some were fighting each other in their race anticipation. 

They did their best to maintain a low profile. There were too many Vulkars in the streets for them to risk a confrontation. They took their time, but eventually made it to the Hidden Bek base. There were several heavily armed guards outside the entrance that let them pass.

Once inside, they were greeted by a male Twi'lek. He asked Carth to wait in the lounge while he took Sage to get fitted for her uniform.

He found a seat at the bar and ordered a drink. He was soon joined by the leader of the gang, Gadon Thek. "Glad to see the two of you made it safely. I hear the streets are getting out of hand," Gadon said.

Carth took a sip of his drink, "A little out of hand may be an understatement."

"It hasn't always been like this, you know," Gadon said. "If we win tomorrow, we're hoping that _much_ of our old ways will be restored…Brejik will lose some of his hold on the Vulkars."

"And if you lose?" Carth asked.

Gadon smirked, "For your girl's sake, I hope we don't."

Gadon had Carth's full attention. The pilot turned to face him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gadon finished his drink and, before walking away, said, "The only way we can lose is if she doesn't finish. We still have a chance if that happens, but she doesn't."

Carth felt his chest tighten at Gadon's statement. He knew Sage was a capable fighter, but swoop racing was totally different. He saw her enter the lounge and make her way over to him.

She sat next to him and ordered a drink. She glanced over at him and noticed a somewhat concerned look on his face. "What?"

"Have you ever ridden a swoop bike before?" he asked.

She thought for a moment, "I'm not really sure."

He looked puzzled, "What do you mean you're 'not sure?' You either have or you haven't."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. _Okay, how do I answer this one?_ "I seem to remember something like it, but I'm not sure if it's the same thing."

Carth wasn't sure if that was an answer or not. But when she emptied her glass and got up to leave, he did the same.

The Twi'lek that greeted them earlier showed them to their room. Once inside, they each took turns getting ready for bed.

Once the lights were out, Carth said, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Goodnight Carth," she said.

He wanted to discuss it more, but they were both tired. He resigned himself to wait until morning. "Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning, Carth woke to find Sage's bunk empty. He looked around the small room and noticed the fresher was empty. There was a pastry, caffa, and a datapad on a small table, but no Sage. The datapad indicated that she left for her final fitting and that she would see him after the race. He growled.

* * *

The streets of the Lower City were much quieter than the night before. There were a few more dead bodies than usual and the smell of trash was abundant. Carth made his way to the upper level and back to the apartment. 

Mission and Zaalbar were waiting. "It's about time you got here, the race already started," Mission greeted him.

"What's happening," Carth set down Sage's bag and moved quickly to the chair near the holoset.

"Not much yet…a few racers ran their first heat, but nobody's posted a decent time. No sign of Sage yet," she informed him.

The race announcer presented the next Black Vulkar rider. "Redros is good. He won it last year," Mission said.

They watched the countdown for the race to start. In just over thirty five seconds, Redros posted the best time yet. "That was just a practice run," Mission stated.

_Practice run?_ Carth thought…_and he's winning._ He didn't think it looked good for Sage.

The next Hidden Bek rider was announced. The countdown started. The rider handled his racer well through the first two accelerator pads. He hit the third accelerator pad too far to the right and it sent him spiraling into a duracrete barrier. The impact flipped him over the front of the bike. When he landed, his momentum kept him going and he skidded across the surface of the track before stopping at the base of another barrier.

The three spectators watched the set, each holding their breaths. Race officials ran onto the track to check the status of the rider. One said something into his comm link. The announcer informed the viewers that there would be a delay in the race while they cleaned up the track. Carth watched in horror as droids descended upon the track and started removing bike debris and bodily remains. "Why don't they switch to commercial?"

"Are you kidding? This is a big reason people watch these things," Mission said.

Carth felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He ran all sorts of scenarios through his head as to how he could stop her. His thoughts were interrupted when the announcer presented the next rider…Sage. His heart started pounding rapidly and he gripped the edge of his seat as he leaned toward the picture.

The countdown started. Mission was on her feet cheering. Sage didn't do much maneuvering, but was able to hit key accelerator pads. She finished her heat in thirty seconds, posting the fastest time. The three fans jumped up and cheered, giving each other high fives.

"So now what," Carth asked once the celebrating subsided.

"Now we wait," Mission said.

Several riders attempted to beat her score. Carth grew impatient and started pacing the room. He stopped to watch the attempts Redros made to beat Sage's time. On his third attempt, he beat it in twenty eight seconds.

Carth's heart sank. He sat back down and waited for Sage's next heat. Two riders later, she was up. She hit her start perfectly. She maneuvered the bike from one side of the track to the other hitting most all of the pads. She was moving at an incredible speed. She crossed the finish line at an unprecedented twenty two seconds.

The room was eerily quiet, waiting for the Redros rematch. It was announced that Redros conceded and Sage was the winner. The three fans went wild. Cheers could be heard all over the city. Alarms were going off everywhere. Every one in the city, minus the Black Vulkars, was thrilled that the Hidden Beks won the race.

Things quieted down as they were about to present the prize to the winner. Carth relaxed into his chair with much relief. _She did it_, he thought with a smile. His musings were interrupted by the apparent Vulkar leader demanding everyone's attention.

Brejik denounced the race saying that the winner cheated. Sage could be heard in the background yelling various expletives. The race announcer dismissed Brejiks claims as being inconsequential. Brejik objected and rescinded his prize. A loud crash was heard as a metal door clattered to the ground. Carth heard a voice he knew to be Bastila's. Brejik exchanged words with his former prisoner before ordering his men to attack. Bastila made a motion to the camera and the image flickered out.

Carth gasped, "What happened?"

Mission jumped up to check it, "Everything looks fine...I think they lost the feed. I'll see if we can get any other reports."

Carth started pacing again.

Mission tried a few things, "They say the platform is in lockdown...nobody can get in to see what's going on…wait…OH, OH, here it is again!"

Carth rushed over to the sight of utter chaos on the swoop platform. The sound was out, but they could clearly see the events. He could see Sage and Bastila each fighting different Vulkars. Brejik was quickly taking down any Hidden Bek he came across. Sage made her way over and engaged him. Their blades clashed as Brejik met each of her thrusts. She flipped over his head and thrust her blade behind her, lodging it into his back. He staggered a few times before falling face down to the ground.

Carth walked over to the cooler unit and pulled out a Tarisian Ale. He leaned against the counter and eagerly drank half of the brew. _Man, I'm glad I don't have to watch one of those again._


	15. Meeting Bastila

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it...it's all Lucas and Bioware.**

* * *

Taris Swoop Platform **

After the battle that ensued following the swoop race, the two remaining women collected themselves. Bastila tried to hold herself with an air of respect, despite her scandalous attire. Brejik thought it fitting to have his prize dressed as an everyday joy girl. Bastila looked around for something to cover herself when she finally addressed Sage, "Well, maybe those bloody Vulkars will think twice next time before trying to keep a Jedi prisoner!" She turned to give Sage a pointed look, "And as for you, if you think you can collect me as a prize…," she froze in stunned recognition. _Wait…I don't believe this!_ she thought.

Sage raised an eyebrow, "Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that after all that, all I get is _you_? No prize money?" She scoffed, "What a rip-off."

Bastila attempted to ignore the half insult, "You're…you're the advisor that was assigned to me on the Endar Spire, aren't you? Yes, I'm sure of it. How did you end up racing for these swoop gangs?"

Sage snorted, "It's a long story." She handed Bastila a cloak she found on one of the various bodies lying about.

Bastila figured she could hear the details later, "Well we don't have time for it now. We have to get out of here before the Sith show up to sort out this mess. Is there somewhere safe we can go?" She held the cloak to her nose and winced at the smell of it.

Sage answered, "I've got somewhere safe to go. I was planning to take you there after I saved you from Brejik."

Bastila looked up from shaking out the cloak, "Save me? Is that what you were trying to accomplish by riding in that swoop race?" She huffed, "Well, as far as rescues go this is a pretty poor example." She returned to picking lint off of the cloak.

Sage blinked a few times, _how could I have forgotten how pleasant she was?_ She shook her head and turned to walk towards the exit.

Bastila continued to groom her cloak, "In case you hadn't noticed. I managed to free myself from that neural restraint collar without your help. In fact, it's more accurate to say that I saved you!" _In more ways than you'll ever know._

Sage stopped, _What? In more ways than I'll ever know?_ She turned around, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Brejik and his Vulkars would have left you for dead if I hadn't stepped into that fight. You're lucky I was here to get you out of this mess!"

_Oh, I've had enough of this_. She turned and hit the door controls for the exit and walked out.

Bastila slipped on the cloak and looked up to find herself alone on the platform. She looked over in time to see Sage walk through the exit and out into the street. _What is she doing? _She ran to catch up to her, "What, may I ask, are you doing?"

Sage didn't spare her a glance, "You said yourself that we didn't want to be around when the Sith showed up."

Bastila sputtered, "Well, yes, I did, but…"

"And if I were you, I'd put that hood up," Sage interrupted. "They are looking for _you_."

Bastila found herself obliging and raising the hood to better hide herself. "Very well, then let's get down to business – we're not out of danger yet." She watched Sage step over a body in the street without even looking at it. She gingerly walked around it. "If I'm going to figure out a way for us to get off this planet I need to know what kind of resources we can draw on. First, are we the only two survivors left from the Endar Spire?"

Sage was glad that the hood was pulled up enough that she couldn't really hear what Bastila was saying. They came upon Javyar's Cantina when a thought struck her. She entered the cantina and headed back to the room with the Twi'lek dancers. The place was packed. Everyone was celebrating the swoop race. Upon seeing Sage, a path was cleared in front of her as people cheered and drinks were passed her way. She smiled and accepted the drinks graciously, handing one back to Bastila to enjoy.

Bastila was not amused. She assumed they entered the cantina as part of the next step in getting off Taris, not to celebrate Sage's win.

Sage found a table and sat with her back to the wall. She motioned for Bastila to take a seat. Bastila grudgingly sat down, "May I ask what we're doing here?"

Sage took a long drink from her ale. She set her glass down and leaned toward the other woman, "Look, I helped you out…now I need you to help me."

Bastila shifted in her seat. Her head was spinning. She was desperate for some sense of what was going on and what her next move was going to be. She also didn't know enough about her companion to judge whether she'd take kindly to being drug out of the cantina by her ear. At this point, she didn't even know whether she could trust Sage. _What has she been doing all this time?_

Sage pointed to a man standing in the middle of the room, watching the dancers, "See that guy over there…the one with the scar on his face?"

Bastila turned in her seat to see the dark haired man. He looked better kept than the rest of the clientele in the establishment. Bastila thought maybe he was Sage's connection in getting off the planet, "Yes, what about him?"

"I need you to use one of your Jedi mind tricks on him…you guys can do that sort of thing, can't you?"

"I beg your pardon!" Bastila nearly shouted. "The Force is not intended for frivolous use. I will not be privy to any unnecessary use of it." She crossed her arms in front of her to show the seriousness of her response.

Sage studied her a moment, "Trust me…once you speak to him, you'll understand."

"What are you talking about? Who is that man? Can he get us off Taris? I demand that you start answering my questions!"

Sage ignored her questions, "Look, he put a bounty on someone and I want it removed. I could always pay him, but frankly, he doesn't deserve it. I think you can…persuade him," she said as she moved her hand in a wave in front of her, "to remove the bounty."

Bastila shook her head in disbelief, "What do you think I am? A festival attraction?" She leaned forward to whisper, "I am a member of the Jedi Order. Now you will answer my questions and you will answer them now!"

Sage's mouth formed a tight line, "I'll make you a deal…we go talk to him…you decide…if you feel he deserves credits for what he did, I'll give him the credits. If he doesn't deserve them, you wave your hand in front of his face."

Bastila thought for a moment, "You answer my questions, I'll go with you to talk to him…but I have no intention of using the force on him."

"I'll answer one question now and the rest when we're done with him," Sage appeased and stood up from the table.

Bastila stood as well, "Very well. Are we the only two survivors?"

"No," Sage said before walking toward Holdan.

Bastila huffed at the short reply, but turned to follow Sage. Sage stopped just before they reached Holdan, "By the way, he came on too strong and she defended herself."

Holdan gave Sage an appraising look, "Hey, baby – back again, I see. I guess the old Holdan charm is still working: the ladies just can't leave me alone!"

Sage's lip turned up in distaste, "You're the guy who put the bounty on Dia's head, right?"

Holdan coughed, "You're here about that? I guess Zax must have mentioned me to you at the bounty office. Fair enough – I don't care who takes her out, just so long as the job gets done.

I can't let her get away with what she did – that wench tried to cut me with her vibroblade!"

Sage said, "I want the bounty on Dia's head removed."

Holdan laughed, "What? I can't do that! Think how it would look. I work for Davik, I've got a certain reputation to uphold. I can't let her get away with this. There has to be payback!" He paused and seemed to think of something, "Although I do feel a little guilty about all this. Dia's a good looking gal – it'd be a shame to kill her. Tell you what – I'll take 200 credits in exchange for lifting the bounty."

Sage looked expectantly at Bastila.

Bastila turned to face Sage with her arms crossed in front of her, "How many?"

"What?" Sage asked.

Bastila raised an eyebrow, "How. Many?

Sage smirked when she realized what Bastila was asking, "One."

Bastila waved her hand in front of his face, "I think it is time you forgave her. You are partly to blame for her behavior."

Holdan's eyes glazed over, "Well…maybe it's time I forgave her. I am partly to blame for what she did, I suppose. Okay, you win; Dia can live." He turned to walk away, "Don't worry – I'll stick to my end of the bargain. I'll go tell Zax right now that the bounty is off the table."

Sage turned to leave, "See, I told you he wasn't worth the credits…now let's go see Carth."

Bastila perked up, "Carth Onasi is alive? Finally, some good news! Carth is one of the Republic's best soldiers. He's proved himself a hero a dozen times over!"

Sage rolled her eyes, _Here we go again._ She continued walking out of the cantina, not hearing anything Bastila said next.

"And he sent you to save me?" _Very interesting. _"Maybe I misjudged you. Carth wouldn't have sent you if he wasn't confident in your…abilities. Forgive me – despite my Jedi training, I still tend to act a bit rashly sometimes. Please, take me to Carth right away. Between the three of us I'm sure we can figure out some way to get off this planet before the Sith realize we're here."

* * *

Sage walked swiftly through the streets of the lower city. Bastila stayed in step, but somewhat wary. The last thing she wanted was for Sage to take control of the situation, and that's exactly what was happening. She found it very curious that Sage was even here. Sure the Force had much to do with her survival, but Sage was the last person she expected to find. Although, she had to admit she was relieved. The Jedi have put far too much into this mission. The fact that Sage was still alive gave Bastila new hope that they actually might have a chance. However, first they had to get off Taris. 

Once inside the elevator, Sage felt dizzy and used the wall to support her weight while a vision flashed before her eyes. It was a mix of feelings and images that Sage couldn't understand. She saw Bastila and a few other Jedi….there was an explosion…then pain, loss, heartache…then it all went dark.

* * *

The door to the apartment slid open and Sage and a hooded Bastila walked in. 

Carth felt a wave of relief wash over him, "Bastila – you're alive! Finally, things are looking up. Now we just need to figure out a way to get off this planet."

Bastila demanded as she removed her hood, "You mean you don't have a plan to get off Taris yet?" She gave Sage a frustrated look. Sage shrugged as she walked over to the cooler unit. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"We were trying to find you, remember?" Sage said as she pulled out a bottle of water.

Bastila lifted her chin, "I see." She paused, "Now that I'm back in charge of this mission, perhaps we can start doing things properly." A snort came from the direction of the cooler unit. "Hopefully our escape from Taris will go more smoothly than when you "rescued" me from Brejik."

Carth furrowed his brow, _What the…_ "I know you're new at this, Bastila, but a leader doesn't berate her troops just because things aren't going as planned. Don't let you ego get in the way of the real issues here."

Bastila huffed, "That hardly strikes me as an appropriate way of addressing your commander, Carth. I am a member of the Jedi Order and this is my mission. Don't forget that!" Carth couldn't believe that she was instructing _him_ on the proper way to conduct himself. Bastila continued, "My Battle Meditation ability has helped the Republic many times in this war, and it will serve us well here I am sure."

"Your talents might win us a few battles, but that doesn't make you a good leader! A good leader would at least listen to the advice of those who have seen more combat than she ever will!" Carth reminded her.

Sage added with a smirk, "He's got a point." Bastila glared at her.

Carth shook his head, "You know, I had my doubts about this mission but I figured the Jedi Council wouldn't put you in charge if you weren't prepared. But here you are, acting like a spoiled child!"

Bastila tightened her jaw at the reprimand from the older man, "I see…It's true that I don't have much military experience; perhaps I should not be so quick to judge. Very well, Carth: what do you suggest we do?"

Carth sighed, "First off we can't get hung up on who's in charge; we all need to work together if we want to get off this rock. The answer's out there, we just have to find it."

Bastila agreed, "Well said, Carth. And the sooner we start looking the better; I've already been a prisoner of the Vulkars and I don't plan on being captured by the Sith."

Mission came out of the fresher unit. Bastila chastised herself for not noticing the other beings in the room, especially the large Wookiee standing in the corner. She decided to check the rest of the residence to be sure she wasn't missing anything else.

"Hey Sage," called Mission. "You were so awesome. What was it like riding that bike? I bet it was such a rush. I've always wanted to try it, but Gadon said I was too young. Nice suit…is that thing fire-retardant?"

Sage smiled at the ramblings of the young girl, "I assume so…although it doesn't do much for a guy skidding across the track at high speed."

Carth noticed the uniform Sage was wearing for the first time. _Whoa._ He let his eyes wander the curves of the form fitting black syncloth material.

The attention she was getting from the pilot didn't go unnoticed. She bent down just so to unbuckle her boots. He watched shamelessly. She stood straight after removing the boots and gave him a wink. He let a sly grin form on his lips and twitched an eyebrow in approval.

_Hmm…I like bold Flyboy_. "Well, I'm getting a shower before we go find a way off this planet." She unsnapped the top snap of the uniform and slid the zipper down just enough to watch Carth's eyes grow wide as she sauntered by him.

Bastila entered the room after inspecting the sleeping chamber, "I think we'll need some help getting off Taris. Maybe if we ask around one of the locals can help us out. We should probably start by asking around in the cantinas."

Sage gave her a sardonic look, "Yeah, we haven't thought of that one yet."

* * *

While Sage was in the fresher, Carth took the time to explain to Bastila what had transpired since they crashed on Taris. She listened intently to all the activities and was horrified at some of the news. She wanted to ask more questions about Sage's behavior, but figured there was time to ask. _Too much at once may seem a little odd._

She had a great deal of respect for Carth. His reputation preceded him. Carth had nothing but good things to say about Sage. It seemed she was a key player in everything they had been through. The only thing Carth objected to was Sage's insistence on fighting duels. Bastila was more than a little amused that Sage was currently the Taris dueling champion.

* * *

Sage stood under the shower and let the hot water wash away the events of the day so far. Her thoughts turned to the vision she had in the elevator. It was so strange and she didn't recall anything like that ever happening to her. _It felt so real._

She was still thinking about it when she entered the common room. Bastila noticed a troubled expression on Sage's face when she approached, "Is…is something wrong? You seem as if something is troubling you."

Sage wondered whether to mention the vision, but decided against it, "Forget it, it's nothing."

Bastila nodded, "As you wish. We should move on then. We won't get off Taris just sitting here."

Sage shook her head, "You're not going."

Bastila stood up straight, "I most certainly am going! How do you expect to get off this planet without my help?"

Sage handed Carth his holster as an invitation to join her, "You do realize that the Sith are looking for you, don't you?"

Bastila's jaw moved to answer, but nothing came out.

Carth added, "She's right, the Upper City is crawling with Sith troopers. It's going to be hard enough trying to explain what we did with the Jedi she won in the race."

Bastila huffed, "Well if you would have used better judgment than to become a Taris celebrity, that may not be a problem, would it?"

Sage shrugged and headed for the door. Mission bounded over to her, "Wait, you're not leaving us with _her_, are you?"

Bastila fumed at the insult.

Sage said, "You and Zaalbar can do whatever you want, but you can't come with us."

"Come on, Big Z, let's check out the fun down below. I bet it's crazy down there." Zaalbar growled a protest but followed regardless.

Carth tried to make Bastila feel better, "Look, you've been through a lot, I'm sure…but you can't risk being captured now."

Bastila felt defeated. She knew they had a point, "Maybe if I had some normal clothes to wear…"

Sage looked over the taller woman, "I don't think any of my stuff will fit you. But I have an idea where I can find something for you."

Bastila nodded, "Until then, I shall take this time to meditate. I'm sure the Force will offer me guidance."

* * *

Sage and Carth went to the cantina. The reception wasn't quite the one she received in the lower city. People whispered in the corner while looking in her direction. People kept a bit of distance from her, thinking she was a member of a gang. 

They took a seat in the central bar area and ordered some drinks. When they came, the waitress pointed to a couple of men sitting at the bar. Sage nodded her thanks and accepted the drinks.

Carth sipped his drink and then asked, "You know, it wouldn't kill you to give Bastila those clothes…she doesn't have anything but that ratty cloak."

After leaving the apartment, Sage went to tell Dia the news of her newfound freedom. Dia was about Bastila's size, so Sage asked for any spare clothes as payment for the gesture.

"I could," she simply stated.

Carth shook his head, "Would it be so bad for her to be out here helping us?"

Sage gave him a look that said, 'Are you serious?' "Hey, you're more than welcome to go running around with Bastila. I, for one, choose to keep my distance."

"Why?"

Sage looked away in thought and slowly shook her head. She looked back at him, "There's just something about her."

Their conversation was interrupted when a large figure stepped up to the table. "Mind if I join you?" asked the Mandalorian.

Carth grumbled, but Sage, intrigued, motioned for him to take a seat.

The man started, "I saw you in the swoop race. Very impressive. You seem like you know how to get results. That's just the kind of person I'm looking for."

Sage leaned back in her seat, "What are you talking about?"

"My name's Canderous Ordo. I work for Davik Kang and the Exchange; the hours aren't great, but they promised me a fortune to work for them and I have nothing better to do. Mandalorian mercs like me are in high demand," he paused to take a drink from another drink that mysteriously appeared on the table. He leaned forward to talk quietly. "But lately Davik hasn't been paying me what he promised. I don't like getting cheated, so I figure it's time for me to break the Sith quarantine and get off this backwater planet."

Sage risked a glance at Carth, who was eyeing the man warily. She studied their visitor for a moment, "Why are you telling me this?"

Canderous said, "I've got a plan to escape Taris, but I can't do it alone. I need someone I know can get the job done to help me. That's where you come in."

Carth leaned closer to Sage, "Careful. Mercs like this haven't a lick of conscience…they'll betray you in a hearteat. This could be a trap."

Sage rolled her eyes and Carderous glared at him, "I ain't talking to you. I'm talking to your friend, aren't I?" Sage hid her smirk behind her glass…Carth scowled.

"I saw you win that swoop race, and I started thinking. Anyone crazy enough to race like that is probably crazy enough to break into the Sith military base. I need someone to steal the Sith launch codes from the base. Without those codes any ship leaving the atmosphere will be disintegrated by the Sith fleet's automated defense guns."

Sage furrowed her brow, "What's in this for me?"

He answered, "Here's the deal: you bring me those launch codes and I can provide the vehicle to get off the planet – Davik's flagship, the Ebon Hawk!"

Sage's eyes lit up. She did her best to hide her excitement at hitting Davik where it _had_ to hurt. She maintained her calm, "How am I supposed to get inside the military base?"

Canderous proceeded to explain how she could get a droid that Davik ordered that could break into the encrypted security system. Sage listened closely while she started to form a plan in her head. She glanced over at Carth who nodded his approval.

"I can do this, but I need your word on something," Sage said, "your offer is extended to the both of us," she gestured towards Carth.

Canderous leaned back with a quirked eyebrow, "Now why would I need to do that?"

Carth looked back in forth between the two trying to figure out what she was getting at.

Sage explained, "Surely you've heard that I've been challenged by one of your…brethren?" Carth's eyes grew wide. _How could she even think of that right now?_

Canderous shifted in his seat with a smirk on his face, "Who hasn't?"

"I can't duel until I've arranged passage off planet for my companions…if he brings you the codes, you go ahead as planned," she stated. Carth glared at her with clenched teeth.

Canderous studied her for a moment. He extended his hand towards her, "You honor my people…I'll honor your request."

Sage shook his hand to confirm the agreement.

Canderous stood up, "You'll find me in Javyar's cantina. When you've got those launch codes, I'll make sure we get off this rock."

Sage waited for Canderous to walk away before looking over at Carth. He was seething. They locked gazes for a few moments before he finally spoke, "You can't do that duel."

She let out a sardonic laugh, "I'm doing the duel, Carth."

Carth practically sprang up from his seat and grabbed her by the arm to pull her up, "Come on."

She rooted herself and snapped her arm back, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He turned and stared into her darkened eyes, "We have an escape to plan. We will get off Taris. We don't have time for your games. You want to get in a death match, you do it on your own time, not mine."

"I'm fighting in that match, Carth, and there's nothing you're going to do to stop me…and if you try to yank me out of a chair again, you will regret it," she said while matching his glare with equal fervor.

"Listen sister, you think just because I find you attractive that you can push me around and get away with it…I don't think so. That might work with other men you run into, but not this one," he said with a rising voice.

She stepped back with a smirk and gave him an appraising look, "That remains to be seen." She stuck her chin up and walked past him toward the door.

He turned and called after her, "Oh, you'll see alright." She kept walking. After a few moments, he followed.

* * *

When they got back to the apartment, Sage handed Bastila the clothes that Dia gave her. She was reluctant to accept them, but Sage told her it didn't make much difference since Dia was long gone. 

Once Bastila changed, the three sat down to work out a plan for their escape. "As much as I hate to say it, Carth…I think Sage has a good point…the duel could provide a suitable distraction," Bastila said.

"How can you say that? You're a Jedi…aren't you supposed to value life above all, or something?" Carth said.

"Under normal circumstances, yes…and I'm not saying the match is necessary, but it does work well with our plans," she explained.

"Any important personnel will request the night off. The base should be minimally manned…and whoever is there will be caught off guard, if not intoxicated. We can collect the droid in the morning and bring it back here. After the fight, we come get it and break in," Sage said.

Carth rubbed his hands over his face, "What if you don't win, what do we do then?" Carth asked.

Sage rolled her eyes, "You take Bastila." She paused for a moment, "In fact, maybe you and Bastila can break in during the match. Everyone will be wa-"

"No," Carth interrupted.

"No what?" Sage asked.

He thought a moment, "Look, Bastila, it's nothing against you. I actually think it's a good plan. But…um…" He looked at Sage with a pleading expression, "I wish you wouldn't do this."

She sighed, "Don't worry, Flyboy. I'm _going_ to win."

Bastila had thought all along that it wouldn't be the first time Sage fought and killed an egotistical Mandalorian…and the force was obviously with her…then and now. "I believe she will win as well."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Well it looks like I'm outnumbered…but we'll wait until after the match."

Sage nodded in agreement. He expected her to do some type of victory dance for getting him to agree to the fight, but she didn't.

Sage regarded him with a sober expression. It just occurred to her that maybe he was more concerned about her not surviving the match for reasons other than helping him off the planet.

_-_

* * *

A/N: I don't plan on doing comments every time, but I had such a good response after the last chapter that I wanted to say thanks. Oh and sorry for all the game dialog in this chapter. I had a hard time getting around it. 

Diotima: Your english is fine. You seem to have an excellent grasp of the personalities...and I hope never to turn Carth into a puppy.

Adrianna: I'm glad you liked the swoop race. I hope to be able to capture stuff like that in the near future as well.

Lossefalme: You made it! ; )

Starwarsfangirl: That was my favorite chapter too, so I'm really happy you liked it...it was fun to write.

Trillian: All I can say is...someday. Isn't the anticipation half the fun. : S Glad you liked the tennis match...a much needed shift.

Leogrl, Wyvern Rider, & Greatstar: Welcome and thanks for your kind comments.


	16. Awakenings

Disclaimer: I don't own it...belongs to Lucas and Bioware

Adrianna: Your fluff fix is here...

* * *

Sage and Carth brought dinner for the three of them. Bastila was relieved to have a plan in place. She still wanted to meditate to search the Force for any answers regarding Sage. She tried to get a read on Sage, but the woman's shields were amazingly strong. This alone made Bastila even more curious about her. She was awed how Sage could be using the force without even knowing it. She supposed her former life required heavy shielding that had become second nature to her. Still, it was a matter to be brought to the Council's attention. 

Sage felt a tickling sensation in her head. She looked up to see Bastila studying her closely. She cocked an eyebrow, "You want to talk to me about something?"

Bastila shifted in her seat, "I would like to know what happened after you crashed on Taris. I'm curious as to what you and Carth were doing before we all joined forces."

Sage replied simply, "We were looking for you."

Bastila frowned, "Yes, I realize that of course. But surely there was more to it than a simple search. I doubt there were flashing signs pointing you in my direction; yet somehow you found me." She took a sip of her drink and then started again, "You also avoided detection by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained sponsorship for the race and became the Taris swoop champion. That's quite a resume."

Sage shrugged, "I had a lot of help: Carth, Mission, Zaalbar."

Bastila smiled slightly, "Your modesty is admirable. But though others helped, you were the catalyst for these events. When you were chosen to join this mission, I doubt any of us expected this much from you. A Jedi could have done such things, of course. But only by drawing heavily upon the Force."

Sage snorted, "I think you're underestimating us non-Jedi."

Bastila tilted her head to the side, "Perhaps. But the Force works through all of us to some degree or another. There are some individuals outside the Jedi Order that we consider 'Force Sensitive.' It is obvious to me that the Force has been working through you. There is no other explanation for your great success, though I am not certain what to make of this discovery."

Sage was rather annoyed that Bastila implied that she and Carth couldn't do this on their own…that only a Force-user could have done it. _Sounds like bantha crap to me._

Bastila continued, "Perhaps if you weren't – well, if you were younger the Jedi might take you for training. But as it is…," she trailed off.

Sage replied sarcastically as she stood up, "Be glad I'm Force sensitive, or I couldn't have _rescued_ you." Carth stifled a laugh.

Bastila smirked, "Ah, yes, the rescue again. Very well." She raised her hands up in defeat, "For what it's worth, I concede the point to you: you rescued me from Brejik."

Sage chuckled on her way to the fresher. When she returned, Carth and Bastila were in a heated debate as to whether the Jedi's reluctance to join the Mandalorian War caused the fall of Revan and Malak. Bastila firmly supported the Council's decision, while Carth stuck to his view that they should have done more. Sage elected to stay out of that conversation.

Sage strapped on her vibroblade, "I'd like to go see Gadon...on the way, we can find that droid shop…maybe see how much that thing's going to cost us."

Carth agreed to go with her while Bastila stayed to meditate.

* * *

The streets of the Lower City were the most crowded they've been in a long time. The Vulkars were humbled by the loss of the swoop race and their leader. The Hidden Beks were celebrating and people once again felt they could walk the streets without being attacked. Gadon Thek was very upset about the death of his one time protégé, Brejik. He kept to himself and wasn't accepting any visitors. 

Sage and Carth went to Javyar's cantina to join the celebration. They found their way to the back bar where it was a little quieter…but not much. They sat in a circular booth and their drinks were on the house. Javyar himself made a point to congratulate Sage on her win, "Because of you, business will once again be good." She couldn't help but to feel some sense of pride for what she was able to bring to this repressed area of the planet.

Carth took a sip of his drink and leaned forward, "So, do you feel better about her now that she's lightened up a little?"

She took a deep breath and relaxed into her seat, but didn't answer him.

His lips twitched into a half smile, "Don't tell me I have to load you up with drinks to get you to talk?"

She laughed and gave him a mischievous grin, "I don't know, if it works, I'm trying it on you next."

He feigned innocence, "Me? I don't know what you're talking about."

She chuckled and shook her head.

He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest, "I don't know anything about you either, so don't go on about how I haven't told you anything."

Now it was her turn to be innocent, "Me?" She laughed lightly, "There's nothing to tell."

He rolled his eyes, "I see how this works."

"Seriously, there's nothing to tell."

He slid around the booth so that they could hear each other better. He really didn't know much about her, and found himself interested, "How did you end up working for the Jedi?"

She took another drink and studied him a moment, deciding how to answer, "I really didn't have any other options at the time."

"Why?"

She smiled, "Because I lost my ship…and I was broke."

He cocked his head to the side, "How did that happen?"

She frowned and pointed a finger at him, "This information isn't free, you know."

He smiled, "I know." He turned his attention back to the room full of people. Any other night, there would be pazaak players waiting for the quarantine to be lifted. Tonight, however, the crowd was much livelier.

She elbowed him in the side, "So come on, tell me something."

He furrowed his brow when he looked back at her. _That was it?_ "Wait a minute, you haven't told me anything yet," he said with a rising voice.

"Neither have you!" she said with a tone to match his own.

_Always with a comeback… _He teased, "Oh? You want to argue some more, is that it?"

She smirked, "I'm always up for a good fight."

He laughed, "Can't say I've met a woman quite like you before. You're really something." He admired her for a moment before saying, "I just don't trust easily, and for good reasons…which are my own."

She pointed a finger at him, "I can make you talk, Carth. Trust me."

His eyes sparkled with interest as he thought of a few possibilities, "Well I might be willing to take you up on that challenge. But," he caught himself and chucked. _Best not to go there._ "Uh, you're just not going to let up, are you?"

Her look told him she wouldn't.

He sighed in defeat, "Fine…you want to know why I don't trust anyone? Here goes." He scooted a little closer to her to explain, "Four years ago the Jedi had just finished the war with the Mandalorians. Revan and Malak were heroes. I was dam proud to have served in their fleet." He sighed regretfully, "It was completely unexpected when they turned on us, invading the Republic while we were still weak. Nobody knew what to think, least of all me.

Our heroes had become brutal, conquering Sith…and we were all but helpless before them." He propped his elbow on the back of his seat and turned to face her, "Think about it…if you can't even trust the best of the Jedi, who can you trust?"

She thought for a moment before speaking, "I don't understand how trusting people you didn't even know is the same as trusting someone you work so closely with. What do I have to do with Malak and Revan?"

He shook his head, "It…it's not that. It's…That's not what I mean. There were…there were others. Good, solid, trusted men who joined them." He turned back towards the table, "Malak and Revan and the Sith deserve to die for what they've done…but the ones who fled the Republic and joined them are even worse." He continued to stare at his drink with a somber expression. "The dark side has nothing to do with why they joined with the Sith. They deserve no mercy!" he said the last part while slamming his fist on the table.

She started at the abrupt change. Judging by his shift in emotions, she knew there was much more to it. Hesitantly, she reached forward to place her hand over his still closed fist, "I haven't joined the Sith, Carth."

He stared at her hand a moment. She began to withdraw it when he grabbed it back, "I know. I…should apologize to you. I've become so accustomed to expecting the worst in others, and you've done nothing to deserve that." He slowly rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, "It's just…" He seemed to catch himself and released her hand, bringing his back to his drink, "Never mind. I'd rather not talk about it."

She sighed, _I should really work on the timing of my mood killing talks with Flyboy._ They sat in silence for a while. Sage remembered their conversation earlier, "So…you say you're attracted to me, huh?"

He was startled by the nature of her question and his heart started beating rapidly, "Wh-What?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "I was just curious. You want to talk about it?"

"Ah, no…no, no, no…no." _We're not talking about _that_ now._

She smiled mischievously, "No, you're not attracted to me…or no, you don't want to talk about it?"

"Just…no," he stated firmly.

She smiled to herself. After a little more silence, she said, "A Jedi, a Sith, a Mandalorian, and a Republic soldier go into a bar…"

He laughed at her start of a joke and appreciated her lightening the mood. They sat there closely for a long while discussing various things, but nothing too personal. They enjoyed many drinks that were sent their way. It had been days since they were able to do this and both couldn't help but to think how much they enjoyed the others company.

* * *

It was late in the night when they decided it was time to leave. The streets weren't quite as crowded as earlier, but just as obnoxious due to theincreased inebriation of the partiers. When they stepped into the elevator, he said, "I must say, you being a "celebrity" really has its perks." 

She snorted, "Oh I see, you only hang around me for the free drinks, is that it?"

His grin grew wide as he shamelessly raked her body with his eyes, "Yeah, that's it."

She felt a flush come over her and she cleared her throat.

The ride to the upper levels was filled with a different kind of tension than normal. Nothing more was said and they each risked glances at each other out of the corner of their eyes. She had to admit to herself that there wasn't anyone on the Endar Spire that she'd rather be stranded with. He was actually glad that they were returning to an apartment full of people to keep him in check…things were changing between them…that much he was sure of…_Or maybe it's just the ale._

* * *

By the time they made it back to the apartment, everyone was sleeping. Mission and Zaalbar were curled up on the couch. The Wookiee looked very uncomfortable, but was asleep nonetheless. They went into the sleeping chamber to find that Bastila had taken Sage's bed. 

They froze upon the sight, both wondering what to do next with only one bed left. Finally Carth leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Sage shot him a disapproving look and whispered back, "Don't be ridiculous, it's your bed…I'll sleep on the floor."

He shook his head and went to grab a pillow. She stopped him, "Look…we're both adults here…it's big enough for two…I'm sure we can manage for one night."

He grew a bit apprehensive, _Maybe you can manage, but I'm not sure I can._

She laid a hand on his arm. "I promise not to bite," she grabbed some clothes to change into and before heading to the fresher whispered with a wink, "unless you want me to."

Carth felt a surge of heat rush straight to his groin, an area that had not gone unnoticed that evening. _Calm down, Onasi…you'll never make it at this rate._ He reached for his sleep pants and waited for her to come out of the fresher.

When she opened the door, his eyes grew wide and he pushed her back into the tight confines of the fresher. She gave him an alarming look, but also felt a wave of excitement. "What are you doing?" she said breathily.

"You can't wear that," he said, obviously flustered.

She blinked, "What?"

"That shirt, you _have_ to pick a different one," he said while refusing to look at the white shirt.

She furrowed her brow, "The other one is dirty…it smells like the Bek base. I can't wear that one…what's wrong with this one?"

"If you wear that shirt, I'm sleeping on the floor," he insisted.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The close proximity of their bodies caused a flush to wash over her and her hardened nipples were clearly visible through the white material. She swallowed hard, "Ok," she croaked. "But I still need something else to wear."

"Wait here," he said before leaving the fresher.

She took a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heart. He returned with one of his shirts and left her to change. She looked at herself again with the much larger shirt and started laughing.

He could hear her uncharacteristic giggle through the door and smiled in embarrassment. She came out with watering eyes and a barely contained grin on her face. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his shirt on her.

Once inside the fresher, he splashed very cold water on his face. After changing, he took a couple of calming breaths before exiting.

He slid into bed next to her and lay very still, thankful the bed was big enough for two. She noticed his tension and whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he croaked.

She smiled, "Good night."

"G'night," he replied.

He relaxed when she turned to her side with her back facing him.

* * *

"_They don't think you can beat him," he said._

"_Well they're wrong," she said._

"_I know," he said as he massaged her shoulders._

_--_

_She removed the helmet of the fallen leader…_

_They're not retreating…_

"_We have no choice…activate it."_

_Pain…death…heartache_

WHACK!

"Ow," Carth said as he clutched his jaw.

Sage jolted awake, "What? What happened?"

He tried to blink away the pain, "You just cracked me in the jaw."

Her hand flew to her mouth and her face reddened in embarrassment, "I am so sorry."

He rubbed at the ache, "Another nightmare?"

She nodded and looked regrettably at his jaw. She winced, "I'm really sorry, are you okay?"

He nodded, "I'll be fine…at least it was your elbow and not your blade."

She smiled and reached a gentle hand up to attempt to smooth away the pain. He closed his eyes, and the throbbing subsided as he reveled in the feel of her cool touch. He slowly opened his eyes to meet her concerned gaze. He smiled, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

She smiled faintly and removed her hand. She lowered her eyes and sat up. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and moved to get up. He grabbed her arm, "Where are you going?"

"I'll let you sleep in peace," she said trying to ease her arm away.

He held tighter and pulled her back, "No…don't. I'm fine…honest. You need to sleep." He released her arm and pulled the covers open to welcome her back in. She gave him an uncertain look, but accepted the offer.

She snuggled under the covers and rolled on her side to face him, "Thanks."

He smiled and teased, "You're even dangerous when you're sleeping."

She laughed softly. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. He laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

_Did he just kiss me on the forehead? What am I, a little kid_? She started snickering.

He opened his eyes again, "What are you laughing at?"

She smiled, "You had it right the first time." She rolled to her other side.

He furrowed his brow in confusion, then smiled as he leaned close to her with a husky whisper, "If you're lucky, there might be a next time."

She laughed again. "Shh," he said, "you'll wake her up."

She snorted, "She's already awake."

Bastila stiffened at being called out. She was awakened earlier by Carth yelling out in pain, and lay there silently listening to the rather tender exchange. _How did she know?_

* * *

There was no rushing to get up the next morning. Everyone had a long night ahead of them and needed as much rest as possible. Sage's match wasn't until late afternoon, so they had plenty of time to pick up the droid beforehand. 

Bastila was the first to rise. She glanced over at what she felt was a too cozy of a pair sleeping in the other bed. She entered the fresher troubled. It appeared that the two had become quite close since their crash on Taris. She knew Carth was an admirable man and she was struggling with the desire to warn him. Then again, it was only one day that she had been with them. She would be sure to observe further before jumping to conclusions.

The night had cooled the air in the apartment and Sage had drifted towards the warmth in the bed. With her eyes still closed, she woke to a pleasant scent that she could only describe as male. She inhaled the scent and sighed. It was then that she noticed the weight resting on her.

Carth woke and was startled to see how close he was to her. They were facing each other, only centimeters apart. He looked upon her resting form and sighed, _What am I doing with this woman? _It was then that he realized his hand was resting quite intimately on her hip. He pulled his hand away gently.

She slowly opened her eyes and smiled, "Morning."

He smiled back, "Morning."

He watched as she rolled away to stretch out her limbs, instantly missing the warmth she provided.

--

* * *

A/N: Unfortunately, this will have to hold you over for a while. I don't imagine there will be another update until after Thanksgiving...unless I can get it done before I leave. And I know I said I wasn't going to do this, but these reviews were great! 

Alexandra3: I understand your views on walkthroughs, which is why I'm writing one.There area couple thatstarted out good, but then went on permanent hiatus. I think I found two completed ones that I liked. And no,Sage and Carthwon't be able to last months with all that tension...but it may not be relieved as quickly as you think. hint

Trillian: I'm trying...I already had this one written when I posted the last one, so I tried to go in and add some stuff to the cantina scene. I'll keep more atmosphere in mind for the next chapter which is only partially written.

Diotima: Eek, Canderous. We'll see how I do with him. If I don't do very well with someone, I tend to find other things for them to do...like Zaalbar.

Leogrl: The Sage/Bastila scene was re-written five times and the reason the chapter was held up. So I'm glad you liked how it turned out.

Starwarsfangirl & Wyvern Rider: A little less wait this time, hope you liked it.


	17. The Death Match

Disclaimer: It belongs to Lucas and Bioware. However, I have to give credit for the final blow in the match to Wolfgang Peterson and Warner Bros. for a move I saw made by Achilles in the movie _Troy_. It's a variation, but I wanted to be proper about it.

* * *

The whole group was very busy for the better part of the day. Sage and Zaalbar went through all the weaponry and set aside anything she might need for her match. She worked on her armor to get the mesh underlay sown into it. She also pulled out any extra weapons that they could sell. Credits were slim at the moment and they needed two thousand to purchase the droid. 

Mission and Carth worked on some armor they found in the Vulkar base that would protect him better than the suit he had been wearing. Bastila found a way to collect their things together in preparation for their departure that would hopefully be the next day.

Zaalbar tried to convince Sage to let him fight in her place. He felt it was his obligation as part of the life-debt. Sage reminded him that Bendak wouldn't fight him unless he fought all the other duelists beneath him…including her. Since fighting her would break the vow he swore, he had no choice.

Sage and Carth had a discussion about Mission and Zaalbar. While Sage wasn't too keen on the concept of the life-debt, both wanted to offer Mission an opportunity to leave Taris. "You know her brother isn't coming back for her," she said. He nodded, "I know."

Mission didn't figure there was anything on Taris for her other than Zaalbar. Therefore, she accepted the offer to leave with them.

They collected the droid designated T3-M4 and brought it to the apartment. Sage and Zaalbar looked over the shields and weaponry to make sure she had a good understanding what the astromech was capable of.

Carth, once again, tried to talk Sage out of the death match. She finally said, "Carth, in case you haven't noticed, Ajuur is a Hutt. There's no way I'll get away with backing out of this match. There is too much money he stands to lose. Next thing you know, I'll have that short guy with the funny hat chasing me around the galaxy. It's too late." He knew she was right, but it didn't make him feel any better about it.

Shortly before the match, Bastila offered Sage an opportunity to meditate with her. At first Sage wanted to decline the offer, but after further thought accepted. It seemed like something she should do before entering such an important fight. Bastila knew she wasn't really teaching her anything other than simple meditation techniques that anyone could do. Therefore she didn't see any harm in it. However, the session didn't last long as Sage realized the discomfort she had felt around Bastila all along.

It was late afternoon. Mission had the holoset ready for the match. Sage walked up to her and handed her a datapad. "What's this?" Mission asked.

"I thought you'd rather see it in person," Sage said with a smile.

Mission's eyes grew wide, "No way!" Then her face fell in disappointment, "But me and Big Z aren't allowed in the arena, it being in the Upper City and all."

"I was able to pull a few strings with Ajuur. He was willing to comply given the amount of money this match is bringing in."

Mission shrieked in excitement and got ready to go with them.

Bastila was very curious about the match and didn't want to miss it. She chose to wear the wretched cloak to conceal herself.

* * *

Mission, Zaalbar, and Bastila were led to a VIP box in the front row. Carth walked Sage down a long, bright hall to the staging area. He felt sick at the thought of what she was about to do…what she was risking. He tried talking her out of it for days, yet here they were. 

They stopped outside the large door while Carth straightened her armor, "You have all the grenades you need, right?"

"Yes."

"How about that liner, that's attached isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Your blade, did you remember to sharpen your blade?"

"Yes."

He stopped and looked at her with a frown.

She sighed in frustration, "You know, you could be trying to give me a pep talk here…or something."

He smiled faintly as he tucked in a strap to her armor. He moved a hand up to her face and cupped her chin. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. He surprised himself and her with the action. After a moment, he pulled away and smiled, "That was for luck. I'll meet you in the cantina afterwards."

She smiled at the first bit of optimism she'd heard from him since announcing the match. "That didn't count, you know," she said playfully. He smiled, "I know." Then she disappeared through the door. He went to find his way to the seats with his other companions.

* * *

The arena was a circular building with several viewing platforms raised above the edges of the dueling ring. The ring area lights were dimmed, but there was plenty of light in the viewing area for people to find their seats. The arena was packed full with an anticipating crowd. Carth couldn't believe the amount of people that were excited about watching a fight to the death. 

Most people were so pre-occupied with getting their bets in that they didn't pay much attention to the Twi'lek and Wookiee that dared to be seen in the Upper City. Mission was taking in the entire experience, not wanting to miss anything. Zaalbar remained quiet with a bit of apprehension that the person he swore a life-debt to insisted on putting her life at risk unnecessarily. He would never voice his opinion, but he definitely agreed with Carth.

Soon the seating lights dimmed while the arena floor illuminated. The round stage was surrounded by energy suppressor fields used during normal duels. In front of each suppressor was a starting box. The first to appear on a starting box was the large Mandalorian, Bendak Starkiller. He wore his full body armor that looked impenetrable. The announcer rattled off Bendak's record, legal and not, as half the crowd shouted, 'Ben-dak, Ben-dak, Ben-dak…'

Carth felt his heart skip a beat when the much smaller Sage stepped onto the opposite starting box. She wore her green Echani armor that didn't look nearly as durable as her opponents. The announcer presented her short record, praising her up and coming stardom. The other half of the crowd shouted, 'Stran-ger, Stran-ger, Stran-ger…'

While Bendak's helmet hid any expression, Sage's face was full of sheer determination. Her darkened eyes were set unflinchingly on the other side of the floor. She performed her stretches, her gaze never wavering. Carth found himself thinking he pitied the person on the receiving end of that look. A chill ran up his spine recalling other times he'd seen it. There was no doubt she was a dangerous woman. The thought should have sent him running. Instead, much to his dismay, he found himself drawn to her.

The final betting announcement was made as the energy suppressors were disengaged. The noise of the generators winding down made the crowd roar as the seriousness of the match set in…and the excitement of it grew. Bendak's hands twitched at his sides, while Sage stood motionless. _The calm before the storm,_ Carth thought.

Moments later, the countdown started. The viewers rose to their feet. Sage stood waiting. She focused everything on the other man, pushing the sound of the booming crowd out of her mind. With a loud buzzer, the fight began.

Sage immediately launched grenades she was holding while dodging the oncoming blaster shots. Bendak moved away when he realized what she was doing, barely missing the full impact of her plasma grenade. Sage realized the limitations of Bendak's movement in his armor. She knew that if she kept moving, he would have a hard time keeping up with her.

Mission cheered her on, "Come on Sage, you can take him!"

Knowing she couldn't run around the whole time, she moved closer and they came together with a clash of blades. Sage was fast, but seemed to strain a little under the weight of her blade. Bendak came at her with powerful thrusts. His large stature made it difficult for her jump over him like she was able to do in previous duels. Once they parried each others advances a few times, Sage was able to get a better feel for what she was dealing with. The grenades were helpful, but she was unable to use them at close range. She started in what seemed like a dance.

Her feet moved quickly in a way Bastila had only seen done by some of the best masters. The longer the fight went on, the more precise her strokes became. While her graceful moves snuck in several hits, his strengthened blows managed to knock her off balance more than once. Finally, the fighters separated and circled the floor slowly. Each had visible injuries, but neither seemed affected by them.

Sage used the break in fighting to observe the necessary weaknesses to complete her next move. She stopped circling and started into a slow run toward her opponent. Bendak readied himself for her attack. Once she reached him, she launched herself in the air. Bendak pushed her up in an effort to propel her, but instead gave her the necessary height to plunge her blade straight down through his right shoulder. At the same time Bendak was able to slash his blade across her right side and continue her momentum by throwing her through the air to crash hard against the wall several meters away from him. He swayed. Unable to support his weight any longer, he fell to his knees slowly before landing face down on the floor.

The crowd was deadly quiet as they looked upon the two still forms. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. Carth watched Sage intently, willing her to move. He stood with his hands placed firmly against the reinforced carbon glass, his heart lodged in his throat. Bastila, who had remained seated the whole time, slowly rose to her feet. The serene expression on her face betrayed the tight feeling in her chest. She longed to search the force to check on Sage, but the risk of being discovered was too great. Mission anxiously tapped her foot, eyes darting from one fighter to the other.

There was no movement on the floor for several agonizing moments. Suddenly the crowd gasped when Sage's arm moved. She slowly pushed herself up to her hands and knees and spat blood on the ground as the crowd started chanting again. Once she reached a standing position, she moved over to the prone form of Bendak. She removed the bloody blade from his punctured heart and shoulder. She pointed the tip into the air in victory as a thunderous roar erupted throughout the arena that made the whole building shake.

Mission screamed her excitement, frantically jumping up in down and clapping her hands. She joined in with the rest of the crowd in their chants of the alias name. Bastila released the breath she didn't know she was holding. Carth sat back down in his seat with a hard thump. He warred with his conflicting emotions over almost losing something he never had in the first place…and didn't plan to ever have.

The viewing area lights increased and the spectators started exiting the arena. Bastila told Carth they would see him back at the apartment once he collected Sage. He went to the cantina to wait for her.

* * *

He sat at the bar drinking Juma Juice. They had a long night ahead of him, so he didn't have the leisure of the stiff drink he really needed. He sat with a solemn expression, trying to think of what was next. He found himself unable to concentrate. 

Sage entered the cantina in search of Carth. She was greeted with many congratulations as she made her way to the central bar area. She knew he wasn't going to be happy about having to see Dr. Forn before they got started. She glanced around and found a brooding Carth sitting at the bar. She moved to the opposite end to get a better read on him before her approach. He didn't look happy. She sighed, _I can't win._

The bartender walked up to Carth and placed a Corellian Brandy in front of him. He looked up at the server with a questioning look. The bartender pointed to the roughest looking man in the cantina sitting at the corner of the bar, "From that guy."

Carth looked at the man with a bit of irritation. He'd never seen him before and the man didn't even acknowledge him. He looked back at the bartender who was trying to hide his smirk. _What's so…ahhh,_ he chuckled as he remembered Sage's game on Nar Shaddaa. He looked around the bar, knowing she was there somewhere getting a laugh at his expense. He spotted her on the other side of the bar just as she turned her head to look the other way, trying to hide her grin. He sighed, taking in her appearance, _Just as beautiful as the first time._ She looked back at him with sparkling green eyes and winked with a disarming smile. At that moment he decided a drink with a kick was exactly what he needed. He downed the brandy in one gulp and motioned for her to get moving.

* * *

Dr. Forn was alone in his clinic. He knew about the death match and wanted to stay late enough so that he could treat the victor. The door to the clinic slid open. He looked up from his work to see a scowling Carth walk in with a disgruntled Sage in his arms. He jumped up and prepared a bed for him to place her on, "How bad is she?" 

"I'm fine," Sage growled.

"She's not fine," Carth snapped, "she's lost a lot of blood."

The doctor gently lifted her blood soaked black tunic to examine the gash on her right side. Carth went to the back of the clinic to avoid seeing any parts of her body he had no business looking at and began pacing.

The doctor pulled over an instrument table and began cleaning the wound. He, like Carth, did not approve of her doing the death match regardless of whether she could win or not, "I suppose that you never considered that even if you weren't killed, you still could be severely injured."

"I said I'm fine," Sage said between teeth clenched in pain.

"Fine? I'm surprised you're still conscious!" the doctor chided.

Carth took a step towards them to stay, "She nearly passed out on the way here."

"I did not! Go back to your pacing!" Sage spat.

The doctor shook his head as he poured liquid kolto into the deep wound. Sage gasped from the pain and fell unconscious.

He looked over at Carth, "What took so long in getting here?"

Carth put his hands up in defense, "Hey, I didn't even know she was hurt that bad until I realized that was blood on her tunic." He explained to the doctor that she mentioned that she should go to the clinic, but certainly wasn't in a rush over it. He didn't take a second look until she had to grab hold of a wall to steady herself.

"You mean she was walking around with this?" the doctor asked in disbelief.

Carth just stared at him, jaw twitching. The doctor continued to dress the wound.

The pilot asked, "How long do you think she'll be out?"

The doctor shrugged, "Not long, but she really should rest."

Carth started pacing again. He knew that time to rest was not something they had. They would have to delay the break-in until the next night. He scowled at the thought of being stuck on Taris another day.

The doctor handed Carth a cup of caf, which he graciously accepted. He offered him a seat to sit in where they could relax and enjoy the drink.

"I saw the fight on the holoset," Dr. Forn said. Carth didn't respond.

The doctor studied him a moment, "If you don't mind my asking, where did she learn to fight like that?"

Carth looked at the man and said, "Your guess is as good as mine."

The doctor found it odd that Carth didn't know the answer to his question, given the closeness of the two. However, he knew not to push the matter.

* * *

It wasn't long before Sage woke up. She tried to sit up, but the doctor stopped her, "You need to rest there for a moment." He continued to explain her injury to her. Bendak's blade managed to cut a long gash from just above her stomach down to the side of her hip. Fortunately there weren't any major organs affected, but she had lost a lot of blood. 

He helped her up into a sitting position. She moved her arms around in an attempt to see how debilitated she really was. After attempting to bend forward, she instructed, "Wrap it up."

The doctor looked at her questioningly.

She looked over at Carth and then looked around the room searching for something, "Where's the droid?"

Carth blinked, "What?"

"The droid. Didn't you go get it?" she asked.

"No. I didn't go get it." He couldn't believe she was asking about the stupid droid.

She let out an exasperated sigh and looked over at the doctor and barked, "Are you going to wrap it up?"

Carth stepped towards her and addressed the doctor, "Can you excuse us for a moment?"

The doctor nodded and stepped into the back room.

They glared at each other for a few moments

Sage was the first to break the silence, "You go get the droid. By the time you get back, I'll be ready to go."

Carth looked at her as if she were crazy, which he was fairly certain she was. "What are you talking about? You're not going anywhere. You are aware that you're injured, aren't you?" he said.

She rolled her eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine."

He ran his fingers through his hair and growled in frustration, "You're not fine. We'll do it tomorrow."

She disagreed, "We can do it tonight."

"You're in no condition to do this," he insisted.

She bit at her lip and tried to think of an alternate plan. She knew she wasn't at her best, but she couldn't ignore the urgency she felt, "You can take someone else."

"I don't _want_ to take anyone else. This is the riskiest thing we've done so far and I'm not about to walk in there with someone else at my back." He started pacing again, "Besides, who would I take?"

"Well you can't take Bastila."

"If we did that, we might as well put a bow on her head and hand her over with a note that says 'Look what we found!'"

"Take Zaalbar. He would be very good to take in there. You've fought with him before."

He gave her that 'Are you insane' look again, "I can't understand a word he says. There's no way I'm going in with him. We'll wait until tomorrow."

She furrowed her brow, "No, we can't. It has to be tonight…and I'm going with you."

"What's one more night?"

She looked away as if searching for something to appear out of thin air. She didn't have a real answer, she just knew, "No, it has to be tonight. Something's telling me that we have to do it now. Call it intuition if you want."

He studied her a moment. He wasn't sure why he was compelled to actually agree with her. The whole thing required a level of trust that he didn't think he was capable of…yet here he was…

He sighed, "Can you even walk?"

"If he wraps it tight enough, I think I can do more than just walk," she replied.

He rubbed his hands over his face, "I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this."

She smiled faintly.

He walked back to the back room to speak to the doctor. Dr. Forn was not happy about wrapping the wound to allow her more movement. He didn't know what these two were up to, but they were taking grave risks by doing it. _If you only knew_, Carth thought.

He wrapped her torso while Carth left to get T3. By the time he returned, she was walking around the room swinging her blade in sweeping motions from side to side. It still hurt, but it wasn't enough to make her pass out anymore.

The doctor was highly agitated. Before they left, he handed them the usual bag of supplies and said, "You know, at first, I thought the two of you were still alive because you have each other. Now…I'm surprised you're not dead _because_ of each other."

Carth shifted uncomfortably while Sage frowned. She placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder and in a consoling voice said, "Thank you, doctor, for everything you've done for us." She reached in her bag and pulled out more than enough credits to pay for the supplies and treatment.

They turned and left the clinic, droid in tow.

* * *

Ok, I cheated. I wrote this one before I left for vacation. Therefore, the next chapter will be the late one.


	18. Taris Sith Base

Disclaimer: I don't own it...belongs to Lucas and Bioware.

A/N: I'm so sorry this is late. You can direct your tomatoes toward my husband, who accidentally deleted my chapter...and emptied the recycle bin. It actually didn't turn out bad because I like this version better. As a consolation, I've made this one a little longer.

This site has made it clear that they don't want review responses in the stories. Instead they've added a reply link. I'll try to use the reply link, but so far I'm not sure if I like it. I'm putting my responses on my livejournal that you can access via my profile page.

**

* * *

Sith Base – Taris **

It was late at night. Most people who had been celebrating the big match at the local cantinas were heading home. The guard at the elevator to the lower levels was too busy checking security papers to pay much notice to the two humans and their droid that slipped by him toward the base. The walkway was long and lined with Sith sanctioned speeders. A transport was seen landing. However, it was determined that it must have been a routine run since little activity was coming or going from it before it took off again.

Upon reaching the entrance, the droid immediately plugged into an access panel. Sage and Carth provided cover. Sage took several curious glances back at the droid who was working diligently to break the code. After several minutes, the elevator door slid open and the three stepped in.

When the lift came to a halt, the door slid open to reveal a reception area with a desk in the middle of the floor. There was a young Twi'lek female sitting behind it. She stood up quickly, "Hey – you can't come in here! This is a restricted area! You better tell me what you're doing or I'm going to hit the alarm!"

Sage immediately reached for her vibro-blade. Carth moved quickly to stay her arm, "Let me take care of this."

Sage's gaze narrowed as she watched him walk over towards the younger woman, sporting his best pilot smile. He placed his elbows on the counter and leaned forward. In a low voice, he said, "Now why would you want to go and do something like that?"

She smiled coyly, "Because it's my job."

He said, "Your job, huh? What's a pretty girl like you doing working for the Sith?" Sage rolled her eyes. _I can't believe this…and a Twi'lek to boot._

The receptionist's eyes flashed and she continued her playful smile, "Just waiting for a handsome man like you to come brighten my day." Sage's eyes shot over to the other woman as she felt her chest tighten.

Carth chuckled at the woman's forward answer, "Have I brightened your day enough to reconsider hitting that alarm?" Sage thought, _I think I'm going to be ill._

"Maybe," she said slyly as she reached forward to play with a strap on his armor, "but what's in it for me?"

Carth shifted his stance, seemingly unsure of what he might be walking into, "Well, I could-"

"Fifty credits will do just fine," Sage snapped.

The girl tensed at the look she was receiving from the other woman. Carth sighed and gave the girl an apologetic look, "I'm sorry about her." He tipped his head in Sage's direction, "She's a little on edge tonight." Sage huffed, _This is taking too long._

The girl stood up and walked around the counter, the side opposite of Sage. Carth stood up straight to face her and she pressed herself close to his body. He swallowed hard as his heart beat quickened. Sage's jaw tightened.

The girl made sure he had a good view of her cleavage before she spoke, "You know, it's about time someone stood up to these Sith." She lifted a finger and traced it lazily down his chest. "Just do me a favor and wait until I'm out of here before you start blasting the place up."

He cleared his throat, "Consider it done."

Sage watched as she handed a datapad to Carth. She glanced at Sage before kissing him on the cheek and then whispered in his ear, "And when you're all done, give me a call."

Sage watched in disbelief as the young woman sauntered into the elevator, _Did she just give him her comm code?_

The door to the lift slid shut and there was an awkward silence that filled the room. Carth looked down at the datapad in his hand and then looked over at Sage. Her eyes slowly shifted to him, but he was unable to read her expression. He drew a smug look, "Well, we're in."

She scoffed, "It would have been a lot quicker if you would have let me kill her."

Carths mouth dropped open, "You can't be serious! She's just as much of a victim of the Sith as everyone else on this planet."

Sage walked over to the terminal T3 was working at and mumbled under her breath, "Then we could have done her a favor and put her out of her misery."

"There's something wrong with you," he said.

She flashed him a fake smile.

He grumbled and moved beside her to look at the terminal. They looked over the schematics and tried to identify where they needed to go.

Carth asked, "T3, can you tap into the security cameras so we can see what we're dealing with?" T3 beeped and whistled and started cycling through different cameras throughout the base. He got to one that showed a large battle droid in the center of a round room.

Sage and Carth leaned down to get a better look. Sage mused, "My guess is that thing is protecting something important."

Carth agreed, "Yeah, like launch codes, maybe?"

Sage said, "It looks like it has an energy field around it."

Carth nodded, "T3, is there any way to disable that shield before we get in there."

T3 let out a few more shrills letting him know that all he could do was turn off the turrets from this station. Carth nodded again, "Ok, then turn those off and we'll see if we can find the access terminal somewhere else. If you can, turn off those sentry droids too. We need as little resistance as possible."

Sage looked at him questioningly, "You mean…you understood him?"

"Well, yes. I learned it when the fleet decided to start putting these in their fighters," he explained.

She raised an eyebrow, "What other languages do you know?" They prepared their weapons before walking to a door that apparently led to a long corridor.

"Ah, you would only laugh," he said shyly.

Sage shook her head, "I'm not going to laugh. What is it?"

He cleared his throat while saying, "Huttese."

Sage tried hard to suppress her grin, "You, uh…encounter a lot of Hutt's in starships?"

He let out an exasperated sigh, "I knew you'd laugh."

She smiled, "Who's laughing?" She walked away from him, "Nudd-chaa!"

He chuckled to himself and followed, just like she asked.

* * *

With the sentry droids and turrets shut down, Sage, Carth, and the droid made their way through the base with relative ease. On their way back through from the armory, they re-entered the central corridor. The one wall was lined with cells they didn't notice the first time through. One cell was occupied by a male Duros. 

Sage walked by the man without much notice, but the man spoke to Carth as he came closer. Carth told the man that he couldn't understand him and called for Sage to translate. Sage sighed impatiently and said, "He's the guy that _attempted_ to hide the Sith we encountered in the apartment building."

The Duros continued to speak as Sage approached the door controls to the corridor they were on their way to. It was driving Carth crazy not knowing what the man was saying, and Sage was not offering free interpretations.

"What does he want?" Carth asked, his demanding voice halting her.

Sage twitched in irritation. "He wants out," she said as if it were obvious. "What do you think he wants? Now will you get moving, we don't have a lot of time here."

_Force, she is so infuriating._ "How do we get you out?" Carth asked the Duros.

Sage threw up her hands, "First you're picking up girls…now you want to free all the prisoners. What's next…should we see what they're serving in the mess? I hear the Sith have good food."

_Picking up...? What…?_ Carth shot an arm out toward the prisoner, "He helped us when we needed it, we're going to help him."

Sage put her hands on her hips, "Well he obviously didn't do a very good job, did he? Now, I'm tired and my side hurts."

Carth set his stance in a way that told her he wasn't moving, "We're not leaving him."

Sage growled in agitation. She looked over to the prisoner and barked out, "Make it quick!"

The Duros explained the security system to her. She walked over to the control panel and studied it for a moment. She flipped three switches and turned to walk on her previous path.

The energy field deactivated and the Duros spoke his thanks. Carth shook the man's hand, but Sage had already proceeded down the corridor.

Carth caught up to her and gave her a disapproving look, which she ignored.

* * *

Once defeating the battle droid, they were able to enter the elevator to a more secure area of the base. It opened into a small holding area with a door at one end. They took time to prepare themselves for what lay ahead. Each had enough grenades and were about to activate their shields when Sage wavered. Carth caught her, "Whoa, are you alright?" 

Sage put out an arm to prop herself against the wall. She struggled to catch her breath. Carth re-holstered his blaster and moved to stand in front of her. He placed his hand softly on her shoulder, "Tell me what's wrong." His heartbeat was already beating wildly in anticipation of their upcoming battle.

Sage focused on a spot on his armor for a moment. She took a deep breath. "Get me a battle stim out of the bag."

Carth glanced at the bag out of the corner of his eye, "Are you sure that's necessary?"

She nodded, "It should pump enough adrenaline through me to dull the pain."

He looked worriedly down at her side. The force of the impact from Bendak slashed straight through her armor. It looked as if she used some sort of medical fastener for a temporary repair. _We should have got her new armor before doing this._

Sage lifted the arm not supporting her weight to rest on his. She waited for him to look her in the eye, "We don't have time for second guessing…save it for when we're done."

He nodded and withdrew his arm to move over to the bag. He returned with the stim and was about to inject it before she stopped him, "Make sure we're ready to go before sticking me with that thing."

Once they had their shields on and Sage was pumped up, they activated the door release. The door slid open to reveal the Governor of the base.

He stood up, grabbing his double-blade and slowly walked towards them, "Who dares to break my meditation?" Sage rolled her eyes. _Who's he supposed to be._ He continued, "You will pay for interrupting my…wait." He studied Sage a moment before saying, "I sense the Force is strong with you." He gave her a more appraising look, "Very strong."

He walked to the other side of her, "Who would have thought a Force Adept could be found on this insignificant planet?" He shrugged and stepped back, "But your talent is no match for a disciple of the dark side!"

Sage let out an exasperated sigh, "Yeah, yeah, yeah…so are you going to surrender, or not?"

The Sith smirked and turned on his personal shield, "Surrender, HA! This meeting is a stroke of luck for me – my master will surely reward me with my lightsaber once - -"

Sage interrupted him by throwing an ion grenade beneath his feet that destroyed his shields upon detonation. He immediately jumped towards the three, swinging his weapon with much skill.

When he started sending electrical charges out, Sage instructed the droid, "T3, first priority is your shields…Carth and I can handle this guy."

That comment seemed to enrage the Sith even more as he concentrated his efforts on Sage. He was much too close to Sage for Carth to throw any grenades, so he had to concentrate on effective hits without hitting her.

Sage and the Sith exchanged several thrusts and parries before he performed a back flip, landing a few meters away from her. Carth used the opportunity to toss a plasma grenade at the Sith, but not before Sage was caught in a charge that brought her to her knees. Whatever it did, the effects from the grenade were not as devastating as Carth had hoped. The Sith immediately turned his attention on Carth.

Carth moved around as much as possible, barely ducking out of the way of the other mans advances. Carth jumped to avoid a slash at his legs when the man swung around to catch him in the left thigh.

In the Sith's attempt to defeat Carth, he wasn't quick enough to prevent Sage's blade shoving upward through his lower back from her position on the floor. He brought his blade up around, attempting to spear her, when Carth took advantage of his exposed torso. The Sith fell dead to the ground. Sage leaned on her elbows on the ground and clenched her fists.

Carth rushed to her side, "What did he do to you?"

Sage shook her head with her eyes squeezed shut and coughed out, "I don't know…but it wasn't good."

"Let me take a look," he said.

She shook her head more, "Just get the codes and let's get out of here."

He got up to check the contents of a foot locker, never taking his eyes off of her, "T3, check the console for the launch codes." After emptying the locker, her retrieved her bag to find the medical kit.

T3 beeped his announcement that he had what they came for. Carth knelt down to Sage again. She was still on her elbows and knees with her head resting in her hands. Her hair had fallen out of its twist and was hanging in her face. He tucked it behind her ear so he could see her better, "Can you walk?"

"I'm not sure," she responded. "Can you help me up?"

He grabbed a hold of her arm to help her stand. She immediately swayed and he caught her by the arms and slowly sat her down. "That would be a 'no.'"

His mind raced for possibilities. He knew she needed help, but they really needed to get out of there. There was only one option, "I'll have to carry you."

She nodded, "Take care of your leg first."

He looked down at the gash in his leg that he didn't even remember getting. He sat down next to her and opened up the medpac. He placed a kolto quick-patch on his leg before pulling out a larger one for her. "We need to look at it before we go."

He helped her out of her armor since she obviously wasn't going to be fighting her way out. He helped her lay flat and slowly peeled her shirt away from the wound. The wrapping the doctor put on her was seeping. He debated on unwrapping it, but decided it was better to leave it to avoid any more strain while carrying her. He injected her with a pain suppressor instead.

He re-packed her bag and then addressed T3, "Let's go the way we came for the least resistance. You'll need to lead." T3 chirped his acknowledgement and readied a weapon Carth hadn't seen yet.

Carth was glad the load of the bag had been lightened during their raid on the base as he slung it over his shoulder. He bent down to pick her up. He waited for her to wrap her arms around his neck before lifting her off the floor.

She grimaced at the movement as they settled into a position he could move in. She clung tightly to his neck trying to support as much of her weight as she could, which wasn't much. She rested her head on his right shoulder.

T3 activated the elevator and they stepped inside. Carth looked down at the woman in his arms and sighed, "It's a good thing you're small, otherwise I wouldn't be able to carry your butt out of trouble all the time."

She snuggled into his neck and sighed contentedly, "Hmm, what will I do without the most handsome pilot in the galaxy when I need saved?"

He chuckled, _I think the pain meds are working_, "So, you think I'm handsome, do you?"

"Oh, you're more than handsome, flyboy," she said in a sultry voice.

He could feel her smile against his neck. He cleared his throat, "Why haven't you told me this before?"

She chuckled, the vibration felt throughout his body. "You never asked," she said huskily into his ear. The feeling of her breath made him shiver.

He was thankful when the elevator door opened.

* * *

T3 and Carth stopped when they heard voices coming from the opposite direction. They slowly backed up to find a spot where Carth could set Sage down. He pulled the bag around and dug through it to find what he needed. He pulled out a thermal detonator. Sage reached quickly for his arm. 

He looked over at her, a little alarmed.

She shook her head and slowly pulled his arm towards her, "Never, ever use a thermal detonator when a frag grenade will do just fine." She gently removed the device from his hand, "These things are much too valuable to waste on those guys."

He shook his head and retrieved a grenade from the bag. His amusement grew when he heard her actually speak to it, "Don't worry, baby. You'll definitely be used to your _full_ potential."

He held out his hand to retrieve the detonator, "If you're done stroking your weapon, can I put it back in the bag."

She gently laid it in his hand with a mischievous grin, "Would you rather I stroked _your_ weapon?"

His eyes grew wide at her innuendo and he felt a jolt rush through him. He shook his head, "You're timing is impeccable, do you know that?"

She smiled as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the wall she was up against, "Yeah, kind of like when I was covered in sewage."

His mouth quirked into a slight smile before turning his attention to T3. He motioned for the droid to start down the hall.

When the droid approached the men with Carth out of sight, one could be heard saying, "What in the name of Lord Malak is an astromech droid doing here?"

Carth heard Sage start laughing. He glanced quickly at her, curious as to what she found so funny. She continued laughing, "_Lord_ Malak, ha ha ha…oh, oh, ow…laughing's not good."

The two troopers looked in the direction of the noise. T3 took advantage of the distraction and launched a grenade at the men. Carth took the explosion as his cue and ran forward, launching his own grenade when in view. The impact of both blasts took down those two, but also alerted two others in the room to the right.

The men jumped out and launched their own grenades while Carth ran for cover. While crouched behind a container, he heard the whirring up of a weapon charge. A split second later, a windy sound could be heard, followed by the men's screams of horror. Carth peeked around the corner to see T3 using the weapon Carth spotted earlier to engulf his enemies in flames. Carth fired off shots into each of them, dropping their smoldering bodies to the floor.

He looked over at T3, "Where did you get that?" T3 beeped that Sage found it in the armory.

Carth went back to collect Sage, who had her head slumped to the side. He grabbed her face and moved it from side to side, "Come on Sage, you can't sleep here. Stay with me."

She moaned a response and Carth knew he didn't have much more time to get her back.

* * *

They were able to move through the rest of the base without incident. Once outside, Carth decided they would need a speeder to get Sage back to the apartment as fast as possible. They moved quickly to one of the Sith speeders lined up along the causeway. He was able to bring Sage alert again and knew he had to keep her talking. 

"T3, can you bypass the –"

He was interrupted by the sound of the ignition. He looked over at Sage, "I'm beginning to like this droid." She smiled faintly.

He engaged the controls and they lifted off the causeway and into the flow of traffic. Although it was the middle of the night, there were still a fair amount of speeders in the lanes of the city planet. He tried to stay with the rest to avoid any unnecessary attention. He glanced over at Sage, _I'm losing her again._

He tried to think of something to get her talking, "So, why don't you tell me a little more about yourself."

She mumbled something he didn't understand.

"What was that?"

She spoke up, "I told you there was nothing to tell."

"How about your ship? How did you _lose_ it?" he asked. He felt a little guilty asking her these questions. She seemed to be quite open in her state and he didn't want to take advantage of her.

She leaned her head back on the head rest and drew out her response, "I craaaaashed."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Crashed? How did that happen?"

She sighed, "I'm not sure really. Apparently, I came out of hyperspace early in Hutt Space. I lost my stabilizers and got sucked in by the gravitational pull of Ylesia. I was somehow able to slow my decent enough to not be incinerated on impact."

Carth took his eyes off the speeder lanes to look at her in amazement. He couldn't believe she lived through it, "You had to have been badly hurt?"

She closed her eyes to block out the lights of the passing speeders, "Yep."

T3 beeped warningly and Carth looked back at the traffic just in time to realize he was about to miss his turn off. He swung the vehicle to the left and found a discreet place near their building to set it down. He powered down the systems and moved over to Sage.

Her head was leaning to the side and she wasn't responding. He gently removed her from the speeder and proceeded toward the apartment.

* * *

Bastila woke to the sound of Carth noisily entering the apartment with an unconscious Sage lying limply in his arms. She hurried him into the sleeping chamber to avoid waking the others. He gently laid her down on the bed she had been using. He had a look of concern etched deep in his eyes. 

"What happened?" Bastila asked quietly.

Carth rolled up Sage's tunic to show Bastila the wound, "We ran into a force-user. I think he did something to her to make this thing worse." He shrugged out of his armor before sitting on the bed beside Sage. Bastila went to get the medical supplies.

When she returned, he was unwrapping the bandage. She helped to remove the dressing while he lifted Sage slightly to give her better access. When completely exposed, Bastila gasped at the seeping wound, "_This_ is the wound she received from the duel?"

He gave her a sheepish look, "Yeah."

The two worked together to clean the gash. When they had done as much as they could, Carth asked, "Can't you Jedi use the Force to heal people?"

Bastila shifted in discomfort at his innocent question. She did possess some healing powers, but was rather reluctant to use them. There was quite a bit of controversy surrounding the last time she did such a thing. To touch Sage in that way once again was something she was not comfortable doing, and therefore would not be effective. Instead, she said, "There are Jedi known for their healing abilities. Unfortunately, I am not one of them." It wasn't a lie…from a certain point of view.

Carth frowned at her answer, but continued nonetheless. He applied a kolto patch to the wound with much care. Bastila asked about the doctor that had been treating them. She was curious about the man and wanted to find some way to meet with him before they left. That time was approaching quickly, but she would try in the morning once Sage and Carth left to meet the Mandalorian. She glanced down at Sage, _if they are meeting him._

When Carth had the wound dressed to his satisfaction, he yawned deeply. He bent down to remove his boots. Afterwards, he moved to the foot of the bed and removed Sage's as well. Bastila watched with curiosity at the care he took with the woman.

He rose from the bed. He looked over at his bed, then at Bastila, then at Sage. He shrugged slightly and continued toward the fresher. Bastila sensed his indecision and felt it had something to do with their sleeping arrangements. She spoke up before he made it to the door, "I plan to meditate for the rest of the evening. Therefore there is plenty of room for you to sleep."

Carth shook his head, "That's okay, Bastila. We all need our sleep. You take my bed. I don't mind sleeping there." He pointed to the bed Sage was on.

"That's quite all right, Carth. I've had enough sleep for the night and could really use the time to meditate before tomorrow's events."

He nodded and stepped into the fresher.

* * *

Carth shed his clothes in the fresher and put on his sleeping attire. He washed up as much as he could without taking a full shower. He was tired and just wanted to go to sleep. He didn't care where. 

Upon re-entering the sleeping chamber, he walked over and pulled the covers over Sage's resting form. He hoped she would be better in the morning. _Damn you and that death match._ He brushed the hair back away from her face before turning to his own bed.

He laid back and closed his eyes, briefly playing through the days events. He reached up and rubbed his hands over his face before clasping them behind his head. He saw images of her lying on the ground at the end of her match and nearly collapsing on the way to the med clinic. He sighed at her agitation upon entering the base and helping the Duros. _It just kills her to waste time_. He frowned when he remembered the force attack that left her on her knees…the look in the Sith's eyes when he was ready to administer the final blow to her.

So much of the events after their fight with the Sith were a blur. He chuckled silently in amusement over her loose tongue. He faltered when he realized the implication of her words. Sure they had flirted, but her thoughts on him had been very secure until then. Before drifting to sleep, he fought with himself whether he was better off not knowing. But then, _I wonder…_. He brushed that thought away before it had a chance to progress. Unfortunately for him, his dreams weren't quite as easy to control.

_

* * *

He reveled in the feel of her fingertips tracing through the hair on his chest. He tightened his hold on her and inhaled her scent. He reached up his other hand and ran it through her silky hair before kissing her on the forehead. _

_She lifted her head to him as her green eyes fluttered open. She smiled lazily, "Morning." He loved that look. She was so beautiful in the morning…hell, anytime. Even the chafing caused by the grating sand and his own stubble added to her glow._

_He eased his arm out from under her a little and propped himself on his elbow. He bent down to kiss her tenderly, "Did you sleep well?"_

_She moaned softly, "Mm-hmm," and wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling him closer._

_He kissed a trail along her jaw to reach the soft spot under her ear. He whispered, "Any nightmares?"_

"_None that I remember," she murmured._

_He smiled as he nibbled on her ear, "Must be the company."_

_She chuckled, "You mean the company that wore me out so much that I was too tired to dream?"_

_He laughed, "Oh no, sister, you can't blame me. You're the one with the insatiable appetite."_

_She reached her hand down between them to grasp the growing evidence of his desire, "So_ this_," she gave him a slight squeeze and he sucked in his breath, "is in response to _my_ appetite?"_

_He pulled away from her neck to look at her face with a grin, "No, just a consequence of waking up with you."_

Carth woke up with a content smile and sighed. However, reality set in and he groaned in remembrance of his sub-conscious mind playing tricks on him again. He rolled over and groaned even more when he noticed his body's waking _condition_…once again. He buried his face in his pillow and whimpered when he smelled _her_ scent lingering from the night before last. He growled and threw off his covers, got out of bed, grabbed some clothes to hide the evidence, and stomped to the fresher.

He stood under the stream of water from the shower, trying to will his body to behave. _Why does this keep happening to me?_ With little luck in his erection going away on its own, he finally gave in. Four years…fantasies without a face, let alone a name. He grasped his member while he opened himself up to images of a trim body, firm buttocks, breasts that look like they would fit perfectly in his hands…delicious looking neck with soft ebony waves resting upon her shoulders, soft lips, and her eyes…green eyes that reflect the fire burning within her, begging to be freed. He remembered her words, _'Would you rather I stroked _your_ weapon?'_ He gasped at his release, _Yes._

He slumped against the wall. His hand had betrayed him once more. However this time, the act did little to quench the desire…the want…the need. He reached for the controls and increased the water temperature to soothe his sore muscles while letting out a shaky breath.


	19. The Escape

It was late morning when Sage finally woke up. She slowly opened her eyes and winced at the bright sunlight reflecting off another building. Her body felt like she had been hit by a freighter load of duracrete. She chuckled to herself._ Battle stims and painmeds, bad combination. _She slowly stretched her limbs and assessed her moving abilities. She lifted her arms and let them collapse by her head as she stared at the ceiling.

_What is wrong with me? Why am I getting my _ass_ kicked?_ She lay there growing frustrated, trying to make some kind of sense of what was going on with her life. One thing she was sure of is she didn't want to be on Taris another day.

Careful of her side, she slowly moved into a sitting position. A quick glance around the room let her know that she was alone. She could hear voices coming from the common room. She slowly got up and headed for the fresher.

* * *

Everybody was finishing their preparations for leaving Taris. Most had been done the day before, but Sage's bag needed packed with a few items for her and Carth to take with them. Carth pulled out everything they didn't need from the night before. 

Bastila looked on with mild interest with how comfortable Carth was with Sage's belongings. She still wasn't sure what to think about the two of them. They seem to have become…friends. The odd thing was that neither of them had acknowledged each other as such.

They all looked up from what they were doing when Sage walked in, showered and dressed. Carth was noticeably relieved upon seeing her up and about. He knew Canderous had promised to continue as planned if Carth showed up with the codes. However, he didn't trust the Mandalorian at all. There were other reasons for his relief, but he couldn't think about those.

Bastila was curious about Sage's condition…both mental and physical. She was amazed that Sage was able to endure the beating her body had taken since the Endar Spire. A trained Jedi would have been able to sustain such by calling upon the Force. But it didn't appear that Sage was using the Force in ways other than increasing her perception…and reinforcing her shielding. These were things she felt Sage was not even aware of. From what she could tell, Sage had little resistance to any force attacks.

Mission had been impatiently waiting for Sage, "Well it's about time you woke up…we've been waiting all morning!" Carth and Bastila exchanged glances. Neither had bothered to tell Mission or Zaalbar about Sage's injuries. Mission walked over to her, "You were so awesome in that duel. I've never seen a fight like that before. I've always wanted to sneak in, but unless I wanted to dress as a joy girl, I wasn't getting anywhere in the Upper City…and I ain't dressing like no joy girl. Now Lena, on the other hand," she scoffed, "that tramp could get in anywhere."

Sage stood and listened to the ramblings of the young girl. When she finally took a breath, Sage said, "You've mentioned her before."

Mission snorted in disgust, "I don't want to talk about Lena."

Sage's lip twisted in mild amusement, "Some other time then."

Mission spun on her heel and huffed over to the couch, "Maybe."

Carth walked up to Sage and handed her a cup of caf. She thanked him as she accepted it. She took a long sip of the beverage. She looked down at the cup with interest. Her lips quirked into a smile, _Flyboy knows how I like my caf._

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

She sighed, "Tired, soar, ready to get out of here…"

He smirked, "You and me both…at least, the getting out of here part." He cocked his head to the side and gave her a questioning look, "Are you sure you're up to this?"

She nodded and took a few more sips of her caf before saying, "I'm going to need this thing wrapped up again before we go."

Carth was about to offer to help when Bastila spoke up, "I can assist you with that."

Sage shrugged and handed the cup back to Carth, "Thanks for the caf."

* * *

Sage and Bastila went to the sleeping chamber so that Bastila could tend to the injuries. Sage clasped her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. 

Bastila started to apply the wrap, asking, "I'm curious as to what happened when you encountered the Sith that used the Force against you last night."

Sage thought a moment, "I don't know how to explain it. All I know is one second we were fighting, and the next I was on the ground feeling…weak."

"I see. Did you happen to notice anything change with him?"

Sage shook her head, "No, not at all…which was strange because Carth threw some sort of grenade at his feet just as it happened. I think it was plasma, but he might as well have thrown an ion grenade for all the damage it did…or didn't do."

"Hmm," Bastila thought a moment. "The Sith do have a technique they use in which they use the Force to essentially drain your life force. In return, it strengthens theirs. The fact that a grenade detonated at the same time would explain why there was little effect on the Sith. The action, while disabling you, negated the effects of the grenade."

Sage sniffed, "Pretty neat trick."

Bastila stiffened slightly. Sage noticed and her lip quirked in a smile. She knew Bastila didn't appreciate Force powers referred to as 'tricks.'

Bastila finished up, "That's the best I can do for now."

"Thanks," Sage said while walking to the door.

Before passing through it, Bastila thought, _May the Force be with you, Sage._

Sage paused at the door without turning around. The phrase sounded so familiar. Without responding, she continued on.

Bastila froze when she saw Sage stop at the door. For a moment, she thought maybe Sage had sensed her thoughts. She breathed a sigh of relief when Sage left.

* * *

Sage and Carth set out for Javyar's Cantina to meet Canderous. They would notify the others by comm link once the plan was in place. 

On their way through the Upper City, Carth asked, "Do you want to stop by the med clinic?"

Sage replied, "I don't think so. Somehow I don't think the doctor would be real happy about seeing us again. Besides, Bastila wrapped it so tight, I can barely breathe, let alone move it."

They walked to the Lower City elevator and each glanced in the direction of the Sith Base. Once inside the elevator, Sage asked, "So what did you do with that speeder, anyway?"

Carth started, "I left it…" He paused and turned in her direction, "Wait…you remember the speeder?"

She snorted, "Of course I remember the speeder. Why wouldn't I remember that?"

For some reason, he felt sure she wouldn't remember a thing from the night before. She must have caught on to his thoughts because she started laughing

He gave her an affronted look, "What's so funny?"

She gave him a wide smile, "Not all of us conveniently forget our flirting in our…mind altered states."

_What is she… _His mouth dropped open and he sputtered, "Conveniently forget?" He pointed a finger into his chest a few times, "Listen, sister, I was near death."

She was amused at his attempt to make excuses. She turned her attention back to the door, "So where did you leave the speeder?"

He gave her a disgruntled look and grumbled something she didn't understand before the elevator door opened. They walked toward the cantina, him with a frown. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a lopsided grin. He glanced her way and said, "Quit looking at me like that." She looked away and smiled more.

* * *

The first order of business was to settle their affairs with Zax the Hutt in the bounty office. On top of the death match earnings, there was also the matter of the bounty that had been placed on Bendak. It wasn't much, especially considering the degree of difficulty in the task. Sage accepted it nonetheless and Zax gave her a warning about her activities drawing unwanted attention. 

The cantina wasn't real crowded and they found Canderous at a small table in the central bar area. He motioned to the other two chairs for them to take a seat. Carth couldn't believe he was actually teaming up with a Mandalorian.

Canderous puffed on a cigarra as he gave each of them an appraising look. He knew nothing about her, and less about him. The important thing was getting off the planet. He'd figure the rest out afterwards.

He gritted the cigarra between his teeth saying, "I figured you'd be back." He took one last drag before stubbing it out in the receptacle on the table. He continued, "Neither one of us is getting off this planet unless we work together."

He leaned forward, looking around for any potential listeners. He spoke in a low tone that seemed more like a growl, "Now, I know the Sith military base had a break in. I know it was you. I know you've got those departure codes I need."

He leaned back in his seat, "So what do you say? We join forces and I can get you inside Davik's base – and right to the Ebon Hawk."

Sage was anxious to get going, "When can we go?"

Canderous grinned, "We can go right now."

Carth thought it sounded a little too easy. She could tell that he was still uneasy by the way his back held a rigid form. They needed more information, "How are you going to get us inside Davik's estate?"

Canderous leaned forward again, "Davik's always looking to recruit new talent." He shrugged and said off-handedly, "I'll tell him how you won that swoop race and mention that you're interested in working for the Exchange." He waved his hand carelessly while explaining, "I'll say I brought you in so he could check you out. He'll have you stay at his estate for a couple days while he runs some background checks on you – that's standard procedure."

Sage and Carth were quiet while they contemplated the plan. It seemed a lot better than breaking in. Carth was the first to speak, "That's…not a bad plan. It might just work."

Sage did a double take on Carth. _Well if even Flyboy thinks it's alright, I'm in._

Canderous continued on with his plan, "While Davik's checking you out, we steal the Ebon Hawk and escape Taris."

Sage asked as she motioned towards Carth, "How will you explain him?"

Carth thought, _Hey, I'm part of the package!_

Canderous shrugged, "What's there to explain? He comes with the package, right?"

Carth nodded but she still felt there needed to be a good reason for him to be there.

Canderous stood up, "Come on – I've got an air speeder nearby to take us to Davik's estate. The sooner we're off Taris the better!"

Sage couldn't agree more as she and Carth followed the Mandalorian.

Carth walked next to her and leaned toward her to ask, "What did you give me that look for? Is there some reason we shouldn't do this?

She said, "No, I'm just surprised you agreed so easily."

He sighed, "I don't care what the plan is at this point…the closer we get to that ship, the better."

* * *

Once in the speeder, Canderous punched in his access codes to allow his craft access to the Upper City lanes. Sage sighed as she saw the dramatic change from one level to the other. They traveled quickly to a more upscale section of the city. It wasn't quite as congested and featured a few rather large estates. One such estate was that of Davik Kang. It was a sprawling multi-level structure that was fairly obscure until passing through the security point. 

Canderous maneuvered the speeder to an entrance at a lower level at the back of the complex. They exited the speeder and Sage looked up at the sky. She tried to shake the foreboding feeling that was getting stronger every moment. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling. She accepted it and then released it.

Carth touched her gently on the arm to get her attention, "Are you ready?" She felt ready and nodded before turning to follow Canderous. The Mandalorian looked over his shoulder at Sage, "Perfect choice of clothing, by the way."

Sage and Carth both looked down at her attire. She was wearing her favorite black leather pants and her dark purple tunic. It was Carth's personal favorite and he all of a sudden felt uneasy about what was to come.

* * *

The flag ship of the Sith fleet, the Leviathan, loomed over Taris. Standing on the bridge at the wide view port was the dark presence of Darth Malak. He stared out at nothing but the planet below, his arms crossed across his chest. Deep in thought, he still sensed the approach of the Admiral. 

Admiral Saul Karath stood waiting to be acknowledged by the dark lord. He cleared his throat, "You summoned me, Lord Malak?"

Without turning to face the commander, Malak commanded in a synthesized voice that did nothing to mask the malevolence expressed in it, "The search for Bastila is taking too long. We cannot risk her escaping Taris. Destroy the entire planet."

The admiral stammered, "Th…the entire planet, Lord Malak?" He risked a look out the view port, "But…there are billions of people on Taris! We'd be slaughtering countless innocent civilians. Not to mention our own men still on the surface."

Malak turned swiftly to face the other man. He hovered over him with a look that would make most men quiver in fear. He spoke to him in an almost encouraging voice, "Your predecessor once made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral. Surely you are not so foolish as to make the same mistake?"

Saul took great effort to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He knelt down to one knee, "Of…of course not my Lord Malak. I will do as you command. But it will take several hours to position our fleet."

Malak looked upon the kneeling man with disgust. He turned to his previous position and spoke to the man now behind him, "Then I suggest you begin immediately. You are dismissed, _Admiral_."

Saul stood and bowed, "Yes, Lord Malak." He turned on his heel and left quickly to make the necessary preparations.

The dark lord remained in a position he learned well from his former master. How he hated to enter a room she was in to find her standing like this. _Her_ orders were never questioned. Not even by him. The thought of her still made his chest tighten with hatred…anger…and pain.

_You will pay, Bastila, for all you've brought upon me. I failed when you survived my last attack that would have rid me of both of you. Instead, you live on to remind me…to torment me. You forced my hand by providing the opportunity I couldn't ignore. Because of you, she's gone…she's gone._

His thoughts erupted into a thunderous roar that resonated throughout the bridge. Everybody present stiffened, fearing the outcome of the man's rage. They relaxed slightly after moments passed, each working diligently to carry out his orders.

Saul glanced over at the dark lord that continued to glare at the planet below. The admiral was careful of his thoughts as he did as commanded. How could he not remember his predecessor…the man had been someone Saul had a great deal of respect for. In fact, Saul was quite thankful it wasn't him who was forced to carry out the orders on that fateful day. Sure the outcome was much to his benefit, but here he was, destroying another planet, slaughtering his own men in the process. It should have been an act he was used to.

* * *

Bastila left shortly after the other two to meet with the doctor they had been working with. The cloak she acquired helped conceal her and allowed her to move about unnoticed. She spent a short time with the doctor. He was reluctant to speak with her at first, but eased up a little when his technician with the obvious broken nose left for lunch. 

The doctor didn't give her a detailed account of everything he had seen or suspected. However, he didn't see a problem with briefly explaining his research on the rakghoul disease to a Jedi. Sage and Carth had provided him with a great amount of information along with the serum. The part that frustrated the doctor most was the healing of Carth's wound when Sage applied the ointment. At first he was amazed with the simple solutions abilities. However, he was unable to reproduce the results on the tissue samples he collected.

As Bastila walked back to the apartment, she thought about what the doctor said. She had completely mixed feelings on the news. It alarmed her that it was possible Sage was able to use the Force in more ways than she originally thought. Yet it also intrigued her that she possibly used a power only those that followed the light path were capable of.

She was now more anxious than ever to seek out the advice of the Council. However, her musings were interrupted when she sensed a disturbance in the Force. She knew they were running out of time and only hoped that Sage and Carth were gaining progress.

* * *

Canderous led the other two through a series of twists and turns in the base level of the estate. They came to a large square room. The décor of the room consisted of various shades of purple. The sides of the room were lined with seats that faced a dais that sat in the middle of the room. Upon the dais was what appeared to be a throne. Sage and Carth looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes with looks that said, _Can you believe this?_

From the other side of the room, an elevator door opened and two men stepped out. Sage recognized the shorter of the two as the bounty hunter she had seen on a few occasions. She couldn't remember his name, _Sal or something?_ She was certain she hadn't seen the older man. Most people on Taris didn't dress like this guy. He wore tailored pants and a tunic made out of some sort of silken material.

The older man spoke first, "So, Canderous – I see you have brought someone with you. Most intriguing, if I do say so myself. You usually travel alone."

The shorter guy taunted, "It's not like you to take on partners, Canderous. You're getting soft."

Carth knew he didn't like that guy. Canderous took a step forward and said in a warning tone, "Watch yourself, Calo. You may be the newest kath hound in the pack, but you aren't top dog yet!"

_Oh yeah, it's Calo_, Sage thought.

Davik declared, "Enough! I won't have my top two men killing each other – that's not good business." He turned to Canderous, "I'm sure Canderous has an explanation as to why he's not working solo anymore."

Canderous explained, "This is a special case, Davik. I ran into someone the Exchange might want to recruit. You may have heard something of their exploits already."

Davik took an appraising look at Carth. He moved his gaze to Sage and recognized her, "Ah, yes – now I recognize your companion." He moved closer to Sage, "The rider who won the big swoop race. Very impressive…as was your display in the rather heated battle afterwards."

She shrugged, "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

He took her hand and shook it, "Davik Kang."

"Good to finally meet you, Davik. My name's Marin Sage." Carth wasn't happy about her using her real name.

Davik studied her a moment longer before stepping away, "You know, Canderous was right. The Exchange is always looking for new talent. You could have a bright future with our organization."

He held out his arms in invitation, "Come, let us have a drink and get to know one another better."

Sage gave Canderous a warning look. He gave her a quick nod to let her know it would be okay. She looked at a hesitating Carth and tipped her head and nudged him along.

They followed Davik and Calo into a smaller room off to the side. There was a bar and several lounge chairs. The lights were dimmed and Davik pointed to the seats and said, "Please, join me."

Once seated, a scantily clad Twi'lek waitress came out to take their drink orders. She stood close to Davik's chair. He said, "Tana will take good care of you." Sage noticed the woman wink at him as he rubbed the back of her upper thigh.

She took everyone's drink order, providing warm smiles to all the men and a sneer for Sage.

Davik addressed Carth, "So, Crath, is it?"

Carth nodded, "Yes it is."

"Have you been on Taris long," Davik prodded.

Carth shifted in his seat, "No, not long, two weeks maybe."

Davik took a sip from his drink, "Ahh, so you got here just in time for the quarantine."

"It appears so," Carth said simply.

Sage could sense Carth's tension and squeezed his hand as she got up to move about, "Mind if I look around."

Davik said, "No, go right ahead." He gave a nod to Calo. The bounty hunter moved to a stool at one end of the bar to keep an eye on things. Carth made sure to keep an eye on Calo.

Sage eyed art pieces that lined the wall. Above the bar was the head of a creature Sage couldn't remember the name of. The bounty hunter looked up at the creature with what appeared to be pride. Sage said, "So, you hunt things other than people, Sal?"

He shot her an annoyed look, "Calo."

She continued exploring, _whatever_.

Davik explained to Canderous and Carth how opportunity can be found anywhere. Even under quarantine, he's able to be profitable…just for different reasons. Carth was getting increasingly agitated with the entire situation. He was starting to feel trapped when Davik was called to a comm station. He felt a sense of reprieve but was still nervous that the longer they stayed with this guy, the worse their chances of success.

Canderous was relaxed about the whole thing. He'd been there before when someone brought in new recruits and this was going as well as any other. He thought this until the next person to enter the room walked in.

A tall, well dressed woman with long wavy blonde hair came in through a door opposite the one they came in. She ignored the group and moved toward the bar. She leaned over the bar and told the bartender what she wanted. She took a seat on one of the stools and looked over at the bounty hunter. "Calo," she acknowledged with little interest.

He nodded, "Madame Kang."

She let out a derisive snort. The bartender set down her drink and she took it, caressing his fingers before he let go. She turned on her stool to look around the room. The waitress approached for another round of drinks. The seated woman watched the Twi'lek gather together her order. The server did not make eye contact with the woman at any time.

When the waitress returned to the men with another round of drinks, she was sure to display her assets to each one she served. She placed a hand on Carth's knee as she leaned towards him, "Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?"

Carth smiled, "No, that's all for now. Thank you." She walked behind him, trailing her hand up his arm to the back of his neck, the feeling sending a shiver down his spine. He looked over to Sage. She seemed to be watching the exchange with interest.

The woman at the bar drew Sage's attention, "So what are you supposed to be?"

Sage turned to face the woman. She studied her a moment before responding, "Just looking for work."

The other woman snorted, "Ha, you're looking in the wrong place sweetheart." She leaned toward her to whisper, "Davik doesn't do human's anymore."

"Excuse me?" Sage said, crinkling her brow.

She shrugged as she lit up a cigarillo, "Twi'lek's, he likes the Twi'lek's." She blew out the smoke, "They're easier…not as much work." She mumbled as she took another sip of her drink, "That man never did like foreplay."

Sage cocked an eyebrow, hiding her smile.

Davik finished his business and called out, "Sage, come, you've become quite a celebrity here on Taris. I want to hear about your adventures."

Sage moved and reclaimed her seat amidst the group of men.

Davik started as he sat back down, "I must say that there is a striking resemblance between you and the Mysterious Stranger I watched in a death match last night."

She smiled, "So the name didn't fool you?"

He chuckled, "Tell me, where did you train?" Carth listened closely for the answer to that question.

Sage stiffened slightly, unable to answer the man's question, "I picked up a few things here and there." She gave the crime lord a smile that told him she wouldn't say any more than that.

Davik sighed, "Ah, mysterious not only in name."

The lady at the bar stood and walked over to the group. She walked lazily behind the chairs. At first, Davik tried to ignore her. She moved behind his chair and reached over him to snub out her cigarillo, the smoke lingering amongst them. He growled, "What are you doing here Livia, isn't there enough for you to drink on the main floor?"

She walked around to the next person, Canderous. She approached him like she was hunting her prey. She looked back at Davik, "Now, now, dear husband…no need to be rude."

She moved behind Canderous and leaned down to his ear and said huskily, "Hello Canderous." Canderous was careful not to flinch as his bosses wife taunted him…again. She stood straight and continued her wanderings. Davik was visibly agitated, "That's enough Livia, why don't you get a massage."

She let out a throaty laugh, "Oh I just finished my massage…poor Shoto won't be ready for another one for at least half an hour."

Sage and Carth felt incredibly uncomfortable witnessing the display. Both were relieved when the woman finally collected another drink from the bar and went out the way they came in. Nobody was more relieved than Canderous.

Sage noticed the waitress returning with _another_ drink for Carth, _Oh no you don't._ She got up from her seat and met the woman part of the way. Carth could have sworn he saw her give the waitress a look of warning before taking possession of the drink. He didn't have much time to think on that when Davik spoke up again.

"So Crath, tell me…I understand what Sage brings to the organization. But what I want to know is what _you_ bring."

Sage brought the drink to Carth. To his surprise, she sat on his knee. He jolted at the shock of it and nearly sent her sprawling. She recovered without notice. She answered for him, "He's my partner."

Davik watched the couple closely. Sage took a drink of Carth's brandy before handing it to him. She hid her distaste for the spirit. Carth accepted the drink, uncertain what to do with it. Getting intoxicated was not his plan and he was running out of options of how to dispose of it. Then there was the issue of Sage sitting in his lap. He knew what she was trying to portray and was happy he was too tense to truly enjoy it. He decided to play along and set his drink down so that he could rub his hand up and down her back.

Davik wasn't satisfied with her answer, "Of course, I realize he is your…partner. However, I'm sure he must offer something to make the partnership mutually beneficial."

Sage quirked a smile at Davik, "Well of course he does, but he's also a good pilot." Carth's hand stilled at the mention of the word 'pilot.' Sage was enjoying the attention and wiggled on his lap to get him to start again. He poked a finger into her back to emphasize his displeasure.

Davik's interest piqued, "A pilot? How intriguing…I happen to be looking for a new pilot." He stood up and addressed them both, "Come with me – I will give you a tour of my operations. I'm certain you'll be most impressed."

Sage stood up and held a hand out to help Carth up. He accepted but looked at her uncertainly. She winked before moving in the direction Davik instructed, Calo shortly behind.

Davik showed them a few areas that did little to impress them. However, soon they came upon what they were there for. The hangar doors opened up to reveal a freighter that stretched twenty four meters long. Davik announced, "Ah, there she is – the Ebon Hawk. My pride and joy; the fastest ship in the Outer Rim!"

Carth took a few more steps closer to get a better look. He'd never seen a ship quite like it. He recognized certain features from other ships, but had never seen them all on one. He looked at Davik, "Who's design is this?"

Davik chuckled as he patted the pilot on the back, "Ah, that is the question everyone wants the answer to."

Sage, Canderous, and Calo stayed back while Davik proudly showed Carth some of the fine details of the ship.

He pointed out a panel near the loading ramp, "Note the state of the art security system I've had installed to protect her. The shields are completely impregnable. Nobody can get past them without the codes to try and steal my baby." Carth made a mental note of that. They walked under to inspect the turrets. Davik continued, "Unfortunately, the Sith military blockade has grounded my vessel. The Ebon Hawk can outrun any vessel in the galaxy, but even she isn't fast enough to avoid the auto-targeting laser cannons of the orbiting Sith fleet." They walked around so Carth could get a look at the rear of the freighter. Davik explained, "I am, of course, working on acquiring the Sith departure codes so that I may come and go as I please. However, progress has been slow."

Carth stepped back and turned to look out across the city planet. It was a view he hadn't seen before. It looked almost nice with the way the late day sun reflected off of the buildings.

Davik studied Carth a moment, "So Crath…how long have you and Sage been…partners?"

Carth glanced at the other man and answered honestly, "Long enough for her to drive me crazy."

Davik laughed heartily, "Yes I'm sure she's quite the handful." His laughter subsided and he placed a hand on Carth's shoulder as they walked towards the others. When they were within sight, Davik stopped, "I like you Crath. You seem to be a man that appreciates…" he paused to gesture to the ship and then over to Sage, "the finer things in life. However, let me warn you…a woman like that…can break a man." Davik gave him one more pat on the shoulder and left Carth to ponder his statement. Carth really hadn't given much credit to anything the crime lord said the entire day…until then. He thought back to similar words from his friend Sato on Nar Shaadaa. He watched the green eyed woman as he walked toward the group and had no doubt that all the warnings were valid.

Davik gathered together the party and said, "We should continue our tour."

* * *

The crime lord didn't show them much more. He led them to a secure area that housed several guest rooms. He activated the controls for one of the rooms on the left and invited them in. The suite had a sleeping chamber with three bunks and a fresher. There was also a common area with a table and chairs. 

Davik said, "These will be your accommodations. The slave quarters are just down the hall. If you need anything during your stay – food, a massage – feel free to call upon their services. If all goes well with your background check you will be invited to join the Exchange. I'd advise you to accept the offer when it comes – or suffer the dire consequences of refusal."

Sage murmured to Carth, "Dire consequences? And here I thought we were volunteering."

Davik didn't hear her, "You will stay in these rooms as my guest for the next few days; I will not accept no for an answer. Feel free to visit the slave quarters at any time during your stay. I must warn you that if you are found anywhere outside the guest wing during your stay – or if you bother my other guests – my security forces will deal with you most harshly."

Sage murmured again, "I suppose '_guest_' is a relative term."

He walked to stand outside the door and turned back to them, "I will return after the investigation into your background is complete. Until then, make yourself comfortable. Oh, and Canderous…my sister said that my nephew has been gone for a couple of days now. He went out with you, is that correct?"

"Yes, he did," Canderous stated without changing expression. "After we finished up, I believe he took another assignment."

"I want you to check into it." He shook his head, "My sister thinks it has something to do with the outcast villagers disappearing. I think it's foolishness, but worth checking into nonetheless."

"Consider it done," Canderous said.

Davik turned to walk away, "Come, Calo, let us leave our guests in peace."

As Calo was walking out, Sage sneered, "See ya, Sal."

His step faltered and he clenched his jaw before continuing to follow his boss.

When the door slid shut, Canderous spoke up, "Okay, we're inside. Let's gear up."

Carth said, "I saw the security system on that ship. We're going to need codes to get on it."

Canderous thought a moment, "We should go talk to the slaves first. They always have a good idea what's going on around here."

Sage walked over to her bag that Carth set on the table and pulled out their armor. While they got ready, Canderous asked, "So tell me, what did happen to Doeman?"

Sage shrugged on her suit, "Doeman…didn't quite make it."

Carth stopped what he was doing and stared at her, "Whoa, let me get this straight…Doeman, isn't he the guy you hired to help find Zaalbar?"

She nodded without much concern.

He glanced at Canderous, "And this happens to be Davik's nephew?"

Canderous nodded with the same amount of regard Sage showed.

Carth shook his head in disbelief. _This is just great._ He thought for a moment before saying, "You never did tell me what happened to him."

"Didn't I?"

He narrowed his gaze at her aloofness.

She rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine, fine…he was an alright kid, I suppose. There just wasn't much I could do to stop that Gamorrean from putting an axe in his back."

"So you didn't kill him," Carth said it more as a statement than a question. He began to fasten his armor.

Sage looked at him with a frown, "You really thought I killed him?"

He gave her a thoughtful look. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Anything he wanted to say seemed like something he'd rather not say in the company of the Mandalorian.

Canderous spoke up, "Well, now that's all cleared up. Let's go."

Sage followed Canderous, with Carth close behind. She couldn't help but feel a little bothered by Carth's assessment of her. A lot of people were slain by her _and_ Carth's hand while on Taris. Sure there were some others that Sage wouldn't have thought twice about if it weren't for Carth. But Doeman…_why would I kill him?_

* * *

Sage was the first to walk into the slave quarters. She approached a Twi'lek female. Before she had a chance to say anything, the other woman said, "Forgive me, but you would be better serviced by one of the male slaves." 

Sage blinked and slowly said, "Okay, where can I find a male slave?"

"Shoto has an upcoming appointment with Madame Kang. I'm sure he could see you when he is done with her...massage."

Sage cringed, _Ew_.

Another girl came from a back room and approached the Mandalorian, "Oh Canderous, it's always a pleasure to see you here. What service can I provide for you today? How about a nice massage…or two."

At the same time, the one Sage had tried to talk to had moved over to Carth with a similar proposition. Carth tried to back away from the approaching woman. He glanced over her shoulder to see Sage with an expression he couldn't read. Somehow he had the impression she was waiting to see what he would do. About to decline the young woman's offer, he smiled politely.

Sage rolled her eyes, _I can't believe this._ She walked briskly out of the room, bumping into Carth on her way. Carth watched her leave and felt a flutter in his chest with an urging to stop her. But when he attempted to go after her, he was stopped by the slave that approached him.

* * *

Sage was growing increasingly frustrated. She decided to check on the other guest rooms while the two men were _information gathering_. 

She explored the room that belonged to Calo Nord. The walls of the room were adorned with several animal heads of Calo's kills. She jammed the lock to his footlocker and found some pazaak cards. She smiled as she pocketed them, _Surely Sal won't mind._

She continued down the hall and broke into another room. It, however, was occupied. A man was sitting in a chair with his pants gathered around his ankles. There was what appeared to be another slave on her knees in front of him. Sage froze in the doorway.

The girl stopped her servicing and the man pushed her away and jumped up, desperately grabbing at his pants. He yelled, "You'd better have a good reason for coming in here, or I'm calling the guards!"

The slave jumped up from the floor and ran out of the room crying, "Not the guards! We're not supposed to be in the guest quarters."

The man fastened his pants and called after her, "No, wait, I wasn't really going to…" He turned and glared at Sage, waiting for an explanation.

She couldn't believe it. The whole place was giving her the creeps. _Everyone's getting something but me!_

The man stepped closer to her, "What are you, stupid or something? I suggest you get out of here."

"Did you just call me stupid?" she asked.

"That's it, I'm calling the guards." He moved to the security panel and hit a button that activated the alarms.

Sage drew her blade and immediately advanced on the man, "Now _that_ was a stupid thing to do." He reached for his blaster and attempted to fire off a few shots. Sage kicked the weapon out of his hand and knocked him in the side of the head with the hilt of her blade. He fell to the ground and she kicked him hard enough in the side to hear the cracking of several ribs. He lay flailing on the ground when the guards came bursting through the corridor entrance.

* * *

After Sage left the slave quarters, Canderous answered the Twi'lek, "Just after information today, Lila." 

She pouted and ran a finger down his chest, "Well, I suppose I can do that…for now."

Carth was doing his best to ward off the advances of the slave girl. He was worried about where Sage had gone. It wasn't a good idea to split up and he knew she had a tendency to find trouble. He figured Canderous apparently knew the girl he called Lila fairly well. So Carth politely declined the offers from the other. He stood by the door, waiting impatiently. He was torn between finding Sage or leaving the Mandalorian alone. He decided it best to keep his eye on the older man at all times.

Still, he sat wondering why he felt the need to talk to her. _Why do I care? Why. Do. I. Care?_ He sighed, _it will all be over in a few days._ He felt the flutter in his chest again upon thinking of parting ways with her once they left Taris. He decided to look at the other women in the room to get his mind off of her. Somehow it didn't work. He looked back towards the door, _Where is she?_

His thoughts were interrupted when the door slid open and another slave girl came running in the room in a panic. Shortly after, the alarms sounded. Carth grabbed his blaster and ran out of the room. Canderous dropped Lila, who had been sitting on his lap, unceremoniously to the floor and picked up his weapon to follow the other soldier.

They came around the corner of the corridor just as three guards came rushing in. They immediately exchanged blaster fire. Sage came from a room on the left and quickly took out the guard closest to her. Carth and Canderous worked together to bring down the others. The three stood there trying to get their bearings when a door to the right slid open and revealed a Rodian on the other side. He was immediately met with the barrels of two blasters and the point of a blade. He raised his hands in surrender.

A comm link on one of the dead Rodian guards beeped. Sage backed up to it and lifted his arm. She looked over at the new arrival and commanded, "Tell them it was a false alarm."

Canderous held his blaster and waved it for the Rodian to walk that way. The man walked over and bent down to the comm link and spoke in Rodese/"False alarm…all clear."/

Sage said, "Very good. Now you just go back in your room and stay put. Understand?"

The man slowly moved back to his quarters and took a seat in a chair inside. Sage walked in and ripped out the circuit for the alarm and then shut the door as she left.

Carth walked over to the quarters Sage came from and saw the whimpering man on the floor. He looked up at Sage, "Do I even want to know what happened?"

She walked in and deactivated his alarm as well and left him in his quarters. Without answering Carth's question, she asked, "Well did you boys have fun or did you actually find out something in there?"

Carth frowned. Canderous answered, "The old pilot shorted Davik on a shipment. He's being held on the other side of the estate. He'll have what we want. Follow me."

* * *

After a few more encounters, they were able to find the pilot in question. He was being held in a torture cage. There were two torture droids that were taken out with the use of a couple of ion grenades. The pilot was thankful to be freed and, as payment, offered the codes to the Ebon Hawk. 

Sage took a quick look around the room that was filled with various torture devices. She looked at Canderous, "I guess this is what Davik means by 'dire consequences.'"

Canderous snorted, "If you're lucky."

They continued in the direction of the hangar. In order to get there, they had to pass through the spice lab. The workers in the lab were fairly easy to take down, as their shots were less than accurate.

Sage looked along the walls at the many containers. As she walked her attention was drawn to a crouched down figure between two chairs. She immediately drew her blade and then realized it was Madame Kang.

Sage stepped back to study the other woman. The woman looked up and slowly rose to her feet. She staggered over to Sage with a dazed look in her eyes. She grew a huge smile, "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

She tripped toward Sage, who moved out of the way. Canderous caught the woman before she fell to the floor. He slung his blaster over his shoulder and helped the woman to stand. She smiled wearily at him, "Canderous…" She wrapped her arms around his neck, "You know I've always liked you."

Sage and Carth looked at all the containers while Canderous dislodged himself from the woman. He finally was able to prop her against a wall before walking away.

Sage and Carth headed for the exit when Canderous seemed to think twice and stop. He walked back to the woman and pressed himself to her against the wall. He placed his hands on her shoulders and greeted her with a rough kiss. He pulled away and left her more dazed than she was before. He walked towards Sage and Carth who were looking at him like he just grew another arm. He shrugged, "What? I'm about to steal the man's ship. What difference does it make if I kiss his wife while I'm at it?" He continued to walk past them and led the way to the hangar. The other two just shrugged and followed.

They were able to find a terminal to disable the hangar security. Right before the doors opened to the hangar, a blast went off that shook the entire building. Each grabbed on to a wall to steady themselves. None of them had to mention that their time had run out.

When the door slid open, they were greeted by Davik and Calo. A quick look outside showed the planet getting bombarded from above. The crime lord could be heard saying, "Damn those Sith – they're bombing the whole planet! I knew they'd turn on us sooner or…" He paused when he realized they had company, "Well, look what we got here! Thieves in the hangar." The pair started to walk towards them, "So, you figured you'd just steal my ship for your get-away and leave me high and dry while the Sith turn the planet into dust?" He shook his head and sneered, "Sorry, but that ain't going to happen!"

Calo spoke up, "I'll take care of them, Davik." He looked at Canderous, "I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"

Canderous thought, _So have I._

Davik instructed, "Make it quick, Calo. The Sith mean business. If we don't get to our ships and find somewhere safe, the bombs they're dropping will kill us all."

The three launched grenades they each had prepared. The explosions were accompanied with more blasts from above. The sound was deafening as blaster fire was exchanged and more grenades were launched. The whole building shook, making it difficult for anyone to get clear shots. Chaos ensued and before long, Davik was down.

Calo realized he was alone and called out, "You may have me outnumbered and outgunned, but if I'm going down I'm taking all you with me!" He held up his hand, "This thermal detonator will blow us all to bits!"

The other three ran as far away from him as they could when another explosion went off very near the estate. The impact shook loose several girders and wires, sending sparks everywhere.

Calo cried out, "Damn those Sith! They'll bring this whole hangar down around our ears!" With that, a large girder fell from above and crushed him underneath.

Canderous yelled out, "Let's get this ship fired up."

Carth punched in the security codes and the loading ramp lowered and allowed them to board. Sage raised the ramp while the men ran for the cockpit. Carth took the pilot and Canderous the co-pilots seat. The older man said, "We'll pick up the rest of your friends and then we have to get off this planet!"

Carth hoped that a couple weeks down-time wasn't going to be a problem for the vessel. He was initiating start up when Sage entered the cockpit and strapped herself in behind Carth. The hangar continued to rock. Carth concentrated everything he had on getting the ship off the ground.

The ship slowly lifted and turned to exit the hangar. Canderous navigated to the rendezvous point while Sage contacted Bastila on her comm link.

Everyone held on tight as Carth skillfully dodged incoming fire. They located the clearing outside their apartment building. It was littered with charred duracrete fragments. Sage ran back to have the ramp lowered before they landed. Sage spotted the others coming out of the building. Each ran towards the ship, trying desperately to dodge debris. A large frame structure came crashing down several meters from the ship, trapping a few people beneath. Bastila ceased her path to the ship and ran over to the structure instead.

Sage growled, "What is she doing?"

Mission came to realize what was actually going on around her. She froze in her tracks as the world around her began to spin. She fell to her knees and started screaming, "What's happening?"

Sage yelled, "Mission, you have to come now!"

T3 was moving along fine until a piece of smoldering duracrete hurled its way and knocked the droid on its side.

Things were quickly getting out of control. Sage yelled into the ship for Canderous and Carth. "Both of you, get out here NOW!"

When they arrived at the ramp, she started barking out orders in a voice nobody would refuse, "Canderous, grab the droid…Carth you're with me." She started running towards the fallen frame and yelled to Zaalbar, "Big Z, get Mission on that ship!"

Sage and Carth met Bastila at the frame. Sage said to Bastila, "I know you can lift this."

Bastila responded by calling upon the Force to levitate the structure enough so that Sage and Carth could get underneath to help the people out. When there were only two more to go, Sage said, "Get back in the cockpit, I can get the rest."

Carth ran back to the ship as Sage and Bastila finished up. They arrived at the ship just as he fired up the repulsors. The two women ran towards the cockpit telling everyone to strap in.

When they arrived, Carth started to lift off while Canderous entered the launch codes. Carth said, "Everyone strap in tight, this is going to be a rough ride." Carth maneuvered the ship with great skill, effectively dodging Sith fire.

Once in the outer atmosphere, the Sith fleet came into clear range. Several indictor class ships were spread out providing persistent bombardment.

Canderous said, "Did anyone give any thought to where we're going?"

Bastila stood to go to the navigational console, "I'm plotting a course for Dantooine! There's a Jedi enclave there where we can find refuge!"

A group of fighters appreared off the port bow. Carth called out, "Incoming fighters!"

Bastila said, "Sage, quickly, to the gun turrets! You have to hold the Sith fighters off until I get these hyperspace coordinates punched in."

Sage unbuckled and ran to find the turrets thinking, _this is a bad idea._

Once she found the access hatch, she slid into the seat. She activated the turrets and started firing at everything and nothing.

In the cockpit, an alarm went off as a jolt rocked the ship. Canderous read the report, "We're taking hits…from ourselves."

Carth gasped, "WHAT?"

Canderous asked, "Does your girl know how to man turrets?"

Carth shook his head quickly, "Apparently not…and she's not _my_ girl!" He growled, "Come on Bastila, between Sage and the Sith, we're running out of time."

"Just a few more moments," Bastila said distractedly as she concentrated on the console.

Just then, the jolts stopped. Carth gave Canderous a questioning look. The Mandalorian let out a loud laugh, "Well, what do you know, she got 'em."

"Ready," Bastila announced and ran for the seat Sage had been sitting in.

Carth announced, "Prepare for the jump to hyperspace." A moment later, the hyperdrive wound up, the stars became streaks of light, and the ship launched into hyperspace.

Nobody moved. Carth's hands were still gripped tightly on the controls. The ship was so quiet that all that could be heard was the whir of the hyperdrive.

* * *

A/N: Author notes can be found via the homepage link on my profile. 


	20. Enroute to Dantooine Part 1

The Sith forces continued their assault on Taris. The ruthless bombardment left nothing higher than two stories standing. Citizens and soldiers alike ran helplessly looking for safe haven to wait out the attack. Even after it seemed no more damage could be done, the attack continued on.

Above it all, loomed the Leviathan. Lord Malak observed the attack with unseeing eyes. His focus was on the Force. He reveled in the power he felt in being able to manipulate it to such a large degree. He felt the wound forming, nurtured it, and gave it the fuel it needed to spread further.

He stretched out to the planet below. He could feel their pain and misery. The desperation was sickening. He'd seen it before…in the midst of total annihilation, sentient beings still managed to serve their own urges. Sure there were traces of good will here and there. But for the most part, it was every being for themselves.

He'd been to Taris. Even as a Jedi, he felt it was a pitiful excuse for a planet. Social hierarchy pushed the unfortunate further down into the depths of the city planet. The lower they were, the more desperate their situation.

His musings were interrupted by the approach of the admiral. Saul Karath cleared his throat unnecessarily to announce his presence. Malak gave nothing more than a slight nod to acknowledge him.

The admiral spoke, "Taris is defenseless against our assault, Lord Malak." Silence. "They are offering no resistance." More silence. "The city is in ruins."

The silence stretched even furtherer. After several moments, the dark lord spoke, "Resume the bombardment, Commander. Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy."

Admiral Karath bowed before retreating, "Yes, my Lord Malak."

Saul proceeded to re-position the fleet to move in for total destruction. The admiral expected as much. It seemed that simple attacks usually formed into something much more substantial where Malak was concerned. The dark lord never could deny himself the power he felt in these times.

* * *

The Ebon Hawk commenced on its path, flying smoothly through hyperspace. The quietness inside the ship defied the tension felt throughout. Sage sat in the gunner seat of the turret bay, staring out at the swirling abyss. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Her head was pounding in a way she hadn't felt since waking up from the crash on Taris. She felt like millions of people were screaming at her all at the same time. She let out a groan, _I need some serious sleep_. 

Meanwhile, the situation in the cockpit was nearing eruption. At first, everyone was silent as reality set in. Carth still held firmly to the controls, his ears still ringing from the deafening sounds of a planet being destroyed. He recalled the events from when the attack started. The bombs, the screaming, the crying…the sounds a person could never forget. All the images raced across his mind, playing out over and over again…images of smoldering forms that were no longer identifiable as once being live beings. He could still smell the charred metal and the dust of crushed duracrete. He could see the hopeless faces. His jaw clenched painfully and his chest tightened as the older memories started flooding back to him. He tried hard to push them back, _No. No. Not that…not now._ He wanted nothing more than to be alone, but the other occupants of the cockpit were having their own issues.

Canderous was annoyed with Bastila. He pushed himself from his position at co-pilot and confronted her. The two started arguing over Bastila's decision to stop and help the people trapped under the debris.

"We would have been out of there in less time with less damage if you wouldn't have held us up," he accused.

"I couldn't just leave them there," she defended.

"What difference does it make? They're all dead anyway!"

"_I_ gave them a second chance at survival," her voice rising.

He pointed a finger at her, "Let me tell you something…not too many people survive attacks like that." He pointed the finger back to his own chest, "That much _I_ know."

"I suppose _you_ would," she said bitterly.

Carth's chest was heaving. He needed them both out of there. His ears started to burn as he felt his anger rise. He was about to jump out of his seat at the Mandalorian's disregard for life when the door slid open and Sage walked in. _Not her too…I can't deal with her right now._

Sage assessed the situation in the cockpit with irritation, the noise doing nothing but making her head hurt more. Canderous and Bastila were shouting at each other in obvious disagreement and Carth looked like he was about to explode.

"ENOUGH!" she demanded.

Everyone stilled. Two sets of belligerent eyes turned towards her, while Carth continued to stare at the console, his own thoughts coming to a halt. She looked between the two unbelievingly.

She turned to the Mandalorian and motioned towards the Jedi, "Canderous, meet Bastila Shan." She turned to the other woman, "Bastila, meet Canderous of Clan Ordo."

Canderous growled and brushed past Sage to leave the cockpit. Bastila huffed and turned her nose up haughtily. Sage observed a still tense Carth. She turned to Bastila, "Maybe you could go talk to Mission or something. She seems pretty upset."

"She will find a way to come to terms with her grief. She is stronger than she appears. We just need to give her time," Bastila replied.

Sage could see Carth stiffen every time someone spoke. He had told her about his homeworld being destroyed and she could imagine witnessing the bombing of Taris would be very difficult for him.

She gave Bastila a level look, "Yes, we _all _need some space to deal with it."

Bastila read the message well. It was hard to miss with the look on the other woman's face. She was suddenly reminded that she was looking into the eyes of a commander. She conceded, "I suppose you're correct. Perhaps I will use this time to meditate…to find peace within the Force." She turned to the pilot, "Thank you, Captain. We never would have made it out of there if weren't for your skills."

Carth tilted his head to the side, but couldn't find the words to speak. Bastila dismissed herself and went to find a quiet place.

Sage and Carth were left alone in the cockpit, a heavy silence among them. Carth's grief was all too evident and there truly wasn't anything to be said. He sat there dreading the next words to be spoken by her. He hoped that now that she cleared the room, she didn't expect to talk…but the longer she stood there, the more his hope waned.

She finally broke the silence, "Is there anything you need?"

"No," he replied hoarsely.

She waited a moment, unsure of her next action. Once she decided, she nodded slightly and left the cockpit without another word.

It took him a moment to register that she had just left. He was overcome with a feeling of gratitude as he closed his eyes and thanked the Force for the solitude. He relaxed slightly and leaned back in his seat…the pressure in his head somewhat eased with the quietness of his space.

He ran his hands roughly over his face and sat motionless for several moments. He reached in the inner left breast pocket of his flight jacket and pulled out a golden band. He studied the ring and turned it several times between his fingers. He fought the urge to put it on the finger it once adorned. His heart lurched and his fist tightened around the band. He closed his eyes and fought back the pain. His hatred towards Saul and Malak grew every day. _I've lived another day to bring me closer to stopping you. _He found some comfort in that thought and loosened his fist. He returned the ring back to its place next to his heart.

He decided to occupy his time, and mind, by going over the systems status of the newly acquired ship. He knew that the droid could keep up with those things, but he always felt more comfortable doing it himself. He didn't really trust all the ship diagnostics to a device that could malfunction or be otherwise compromised. If such an event were to occur, the time needed to gain the lost knowledge may not be available. But despite the wisdom of his theory, the truth was that he found comfort in the tedious work...something he desperately needed.

* * *

Sage walked into the common room after leaving the cockpit. She noticed the battered T3 unit, _He really got nailed_. She saw Mission and Zaalbar still sitting on an accelerator couch. The wookiee was letting out mournful wails as he tried to comfort the girl. 

Sage wasn't a coddler, that much she was sure of. She felt a little uncomfortable trying to think of what to say. Truth be told, there wasn't much to say. The only time anyone said anything in those situations was a meager attempt to justify or make excuses…but none of that was possible. There was no justification. She knew Malak had nothing to gain by destroying Taris. The people were miserable and virtually incapable of having any profound affect on galactic affairs. They had limited exports and no longer sat in the middle of common trade routes. They were dominated by some loser crime lord that thought he was sitting on a jewel. There were gangs, although gangs were everywhere. Destroying Taris offered nothing to the Sith and went way beyond a means to find Bastila. Thinking about it did nothing but make her more perplexed…and made her headache more apparent.

Without anything to say, she offered, "Mission, maybe we can find a dormitory or something. I think sleep might do both of us some good."

Mission slowly pushed herself up from resting on Zaalbar and nodded her head with a few sniffles.

They located their belongings and moved about the ship to see what was available. Canderous was cleaning his blaster in the garage and Bastila was meditating in the cargo hold. When they found the starboard dormitory, they each claimed a bunk and prepared for sleep.

Sage went to the fresher for her first sonic shower in weeks. She applied a fresh bandage to her stubborn wound. She found Carth's sleep attire in her bag. He had placed them there not knowing whether they would be sleeping at Davik's estate or not. She decided to put them in a footlocker next to a bunk in the other dormitory.

She didn't want to bother Carth, so she told the droid, "Here's the code to Carth's footlocker, give it to him when he asks for it."

T3 beeped. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I hope that was an affirmative."

T3 rocked back and forth on its equivalent for legs. She chuckled, "See, now _that_ I understand." She walked back towards the sleeping quarters and thought, _I understand countless languages, yet a droid has to gesture to me like a primitive._

When she returned to the dimly lit dormitory, she crawled into her chosen bunk for some much needed sleep.

She settled under the covers and closed her eyes. The room was quiet for a short time. Just as Sage was about to drift into bliss, she became aware of a whimpering noise. She focused on it a little more and determined that it was Mission crying in her bunk. Sage laid their quietly listening to the girl. She tried to ignore it, but the quiet whimpers occasionally broke out into louder sobs. She finally thought, _For crying out loud, I'm never going to get any sleep with that going on._

She flung the covers off of her and grudgingly rose to her feet. She looked over at the other occupied bunk and struggled with the idea of going to find somewhere else to sleep. She winced when her heart went out to the girl and she approached the bunk. She laid a gentle hand on a shaking shoulder and Mission turned her tear-streaked face towards her. She motioned for Mission to sit up and sat down to the right of her. They sat there in awkward silence a few moments. Finally, Sage leaned back against the wall and placed a hand on Mission's left shoulder and pulled the girl closer. Mission hesitated for a moment, but then welcomed the comfort and wordlessly settled into Sage's side.

* * *

Carth emerged from the cockpit some time later and explored the ship for the first time. It appeared that everyone had gone to sleep, something Carth was in desperate need of himself. The previous night was rather short and he was surprised he was still standing. He explored the common area and found the different amenities. 

He found the engine room and admired the hyperdrive. The device was obviously bigger than what was normally found on a ship that size. _No wonder this is the fastest ship in the galaxy._ He studied it more before deciding that it would require constant monitoring and he would discuss the requirements with the droid in the morning.

He entered the garage and his attention immediately locked onto the swoop bike sitting to the side. He walked over to it to give it a better examination. He ran his hand along the exhaust casing and snorted, _I can't believe she was crazy enough to race one of these._

He enjoyed moving about the ship in silence. It was a feeling of peace he hadn't had in a few weeks and he welcomed it. He wasn't sure where to sleep and entered the first dormitory he came to. Bastila was sleeping on a bunk to the left. Another bunk further in on the left revealed rustled covers, but was otherwise empty.

His attention was diverted to the bunk across from it. Sage was leaning asleep against the wall while Mission slept with her head in Sage's lap. Sage's left hand rested protectively on the girls arm. It was a sight he was truly surprised to see. He found himself with a sincere smile for the first time that day. _Who would have thought?_

It was obvious to him that Sage needed a good nights sleep, and she wasn't going to get it like that. He approached the bunk, trying not to wake Bastila. He laid a hand on Sage's arm and gave her a little nudge. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him sleepily.

"I think she'll be okay now," he offered quietly.

Sage looked down at the girl and nodded slightly, trying to figure out a way to remove herself. She gently lifted the girl to get out from under her and Carth slid the pillow in to replace Sage. Mission murmured a few unintelligible words and rolled over to settle back into her slumber.

Sage stood and stretched her arms in a yawn. She looked peacefully at Carth, "Thanks."

He smiled slightly and before turning to leave, said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," was her reply before crawling into her own bunk to return to sleep.

Carth entered the common area and grabbed a glass of juice from the dispenser. He sat down to rest on a couch. He looked over at the droid plugged into a recharging station. He noticed the burn marks and crumpled in depression on the outer casing. _What the hell happened to him?_

He sipped at his drink, but when he was finished, was too tired to get off of the couch, despite his better judgment. He closed his eyes and drifted off.

* * *

Several hours had passed when Carth was woken by a door sliding open and shut again. Mission padded into the common room with a frown and furrowed brow. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he watched her slump down in the seat next to him, adjusting her blanket around her. 

She looked over at him, still frowning, "I don't know how you can sleep with her."

Carth was taken aback, sleep _with her? Sleep with wh…ah._ "Well, I, uh…I don't…sleep with her."

She gave him an irritated look, "What?"

"Well, we, uh…we've slept in the same room, but we haven't…uh, we don't…we sleep in different beds," he attempted to explain.

She stared at him a moment, "Whatever…you've still slept in the same room…you have to know what it's like!"

Realization of the girls problem dawned, "Ahh, the nightmares."

"Is that what you call them? I've slept in a lot of places I'd rather not sleep in again…not that I can, because they're all gone…and I've seen a lot of different sleeping habits…but that," she shot her arm in the direction of the dormitory, "that is not normal."

He sighed and nodded his head in mournful agreement. Truth be told, he'd actually become used to the nighttime disruption…the disturbance no longer waking him at all hours of the night. He lightly quirked his lip remembering the time Sage whacked him in the jaw. He finally said, "I suppose it takes some getting used to."

She shook her head vehemently, "No, I don't think there's any way I'd ever get used to that."

They sat together in silence. He looked over at the still frowning girl, "Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and let it out, "Yeah, I just don't understand why it had to happen."

He shook his head, "I don't know either, Mission."

"Taris was nothing great, but it was home…you know?"

He nodded, "Yes, I know."

He really didn't want to talk about his own experiences. He'd been fighting the memories for so long, but circumstances being what they were, he couldn't fight them any longer. "Um…he's done this to other worlds…my homeworld was one of them."

This got the girls attention. She sat up straight and looked at him like he must have all the answers she was seeking. "What happens now? What will happen to all those people?"

"I don't know for sure. Most survivors move on to find new homes. They miss the home they had, but they live on," he explained.

She thought for a moment, "What about you?"

He looked at her questioningly, "Me?"

"Did you find a new home? Did you move on?" she sounded so hopeful.

He didn't want to answer, but he didn't want to lie either. He looked at his hands clasped in his lap, "No…no..." He looked up at her crestfallen face, "But you're young…you'll find your place."

He felt rather inadequate not being able to give the girl the answers she desired. He'd been there, he knew, he should be able to offer her something…yet he had nothing.

Mission let out a big yawn. Carth rose to his feet. "You take the couch. I'll find a bunk somewhere."

She accepted the offer and laid down on the couch, curled up in her blanket.

Carth dimmed the lights and instructed T3 to keep an eye on ship systems. T3 gave him the code to the footlocker his clothes were in. Mission pointed him in the direction of the port dormitory where the other men were sleeping. Carth entered and was immediately assaulted with the smell of a wookiee and the sound of a snoring Mandalorian. He sat down on a bunk and sighed, _Sleeping in the same room with a screaming Sage is nothing compared to this._

* * *

Bastila had a rather disturbing nights sleep. Once Sage settled into her own bed, it wasn't long before her nightmares began. Her shielding during sleep wasn't as strong as when awake and Bastila was occasionally met with dark images. At first she didn't realize the source of the projected dream, until a particularly disturbing vision that flitted across her subconscious coincided with a cry out from Sage. She couldn't tell what was happening in the image, but the isolated feeling she had afterwards left her shivering. 

The shear intensity of the vision was so overpowering that it required calling upon the Force to release the sensations. She decided it best to gain some distance from the other woman. While the Jedi were fairly social among the Order, most had separate sleeping quarters. Bastila was beginning to understand why.

She threw on her cloak and went to find a quieter section of the ship. When she entered the common room, a sleepy eyed Mission lifted her head from her resting place on a couch. She murmured, "Is it morning already?"

Bastila shook her head, "No, it is not."

Mission slowly sat up, "She wake you up too?"

The older woman gave Mission a sympathetic nod.

Mission frowned, "Since you're up, does that mean I have to go back in there to sleep?"

Bastila shook her head with a faint smile, "No, I'll go to another area to meditate."

Mission sighed in relief and plopped back down, "Good."

The girl quickly fell back to sleep and Bastila decided that maybe the medbay would be a better place to meditate. The coldness she still felt from the intruding dream would only be amplified by the cooler air of the cargo hold.

It was hard to identify the room as a medbay. The previous owners seemed to find it better used as another storage room. Bastila moved several containers out of the way to make a spot for herself on the floor. She found a blanket to sit upon and settled in a lotus position. It took some time for her to find her center, but eventually she was able to immerse herself in the warmth of the Force and vanquish all residual disturbances.

* * *

A few hours passed and Carth came slightly out of his slumber when he heard Canderous move about. He laid there quietly waiting for the man to leave. He still didn't trust the older man and was rather leery about sleeping in the same room with an armed Mandalorian. When the door slid shut, he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Canderous entered the common area and adjusted the light controls to increase the brightness. A female voice came from the other side of the room, "Hey!" 

He looked over at a scowling Mission, shielding her face from the bright light.

"What did you go and do that for?" she asked.

"It's morning, kid," was his gruff reply.

Mission balled up her blanket and stood, irritation in her voice, "What does a girl have to do to get some sleep around here?"

"How about trying a bed," he said.

"I tried that. It was too noisy in there," she snapped.

He motioned in the direction he came from, "Empty bunk in there."

Her anger faltered and she grumbled, "Oh…thanks."

Mission made her way to the port dormitory. She located an unused bunk. As she moved past a drowsy Zaalbar, she sniffed, "Big Z, you need a big time bath." He let out a quiet growl of protest before getting up to leave.

* * *

The rest of the day passed slowly. Canderous seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. He argued with each one of them at one time or another. At one point he decided to tinker with the T3 unit, but when Zaalbar chastised him for using the hydrospanner to bang out the droids casing, Canderous gave up and went to find solace in the garage. 

He took the time alone to fire up a cigarra. Shortly after, Bastila walked in to work on her lightsaber.

"You can't be serious!" she said.

He was confused, "What now?"

"You can't smoke in hyperspace."

"And why can't I?"

"Because it's dangerous. You could blow us all up."

"Listen sister, this here is a smuggling vessel. There have been a lot worse things happen on it than somebody taking a smoke."

"Well this "vessel" belongs to the Jedi now and you will not smoke on it."

"The Jedi?" he barks his laughter. "And what _Jedi_ acquired this? I don't remember _you _doing much to gain it."

She harrumphed, "And I suppose you think it should belong to you?"

"I am the one that got us in."

"The way I see it is that you wouldn't have had anywhere to go if Carth and Sage hadn't obtained the launch codes."

"From what I can tell, neither of them is Jedi," he said.

Bastila was more than frustrated with the man. Earlier he had interrupted her meditation and accused her of sleeping on the floor of the medbay. She found the man uncivilized to say the least.

* * *

It was late in the day when Carth finally awoke. Once everyone else cleared out of the room, he was able to settle in with little interruption. After getting cleaned up, he entered the common room of the ship. Mission and Zaalbar were playing pazaak and Bastila was getting a drink from the dispenser. 

He decided a cup of caf may do him some good. After fidgeting with the dispenser for quite some time, he was able to come up with a fairly impressive beverage. Judging by the look on Bastila's face when she tried her tea, he felt fortunate that Davik Kang was a caf drinker.

He took a sip from his cup and asked, "What's that smell?"

Bastila scoffed, "That would be our Mandalorian passenger who insists on smoking in the garage."

Carth nodded and made a mental note to adjust the air recyclers. He took a look around the room, "Where's Sage?"

Mission looked up from her game, "Sleeping."

Carth checked his wrist chrono and furrowed his brow, "How long has she been sleeping?"

Mission looked at him as if it were obvious, "Since last night."

"You mean she hasn't woken up yet?" He knew she needed sleep, but she had been out since long before he went to sleep. He turned to Bastila, "Is she okay?"

She said, "I suppose she is."

"Well…has anyone checked on her?" he asked.

Bastila replied nonchalantly, "No, I didn't feel it was necessary."

Carth narrowed his eyes, _What is wrong with these people? She's been asleep for nearly twenty four hours, she has a twenty centimeter gash in her side, and nobody thought to check on her? _He finished his drink quickly before heading for the starboard dormitory.

Sage's bunk was completely disheveled. She had the sheet and blanket completely twisted around and lost her pillow somewhere. He approached the bunk to determine her condition. Her bare feet were hanging out and the blanket covered only her legs while the sheet covered only her torso. She was lying on her left side with her arm curled up under her head. She didn't look pale and when he gently felt her forehead, she didn't appear feverish. His concern faded as he watched her sleep peacefully.

He searched the room for the lost pillow and found it on the floor about six meters away from her. He chuckled remembering how many nights he'd woken to a noise, only to find that Sage's pillow had become a flying projectile. He scooped the pillow up and placed it next to her head, trying to nudge it under her without waking her. She grumbled something, but stayed asleep.

He thought about all that they had accomplished over the past weeks. Almost every day had been met with one battle or another…and she had remained up to the task. He brushed the hair back that had fallen across her face and caught himself pausing to let it run through his fingers. He sighed, _Sleep Sage, you deserve it._

* * *


	21. Enroute to Dantooine Part 2

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, most of the following dialog belongs to Bioware. My only influence was the way it was expressed. Everything in the GFFA belongs to Lucas.

* * *

Everyone had gone to their respective bunks and Carth found time to enjoy the quietness once again. He sat in the cockpit, drinking caf, thinking about the day. He really hadn't been up long, having slept for most it. Canderous had been able to find a container of ration bars, which everyone preferred over the ship's synthesizer. Carth couldn't remember when he had a decent meal last. All the previous days seemed to run together and he looked forward to real food on Dantooine.

His thoughts about food were interrupted when he heard the door slide open. He groaned inwardly at the invasion, wishing everyone was sleeping. However, he was surprised to turn and see Sage walk in. She looked like she had just woken up. She had pulled her hair back into a knot and was wearing her sleep clothes. She looked…cute.

"I helped myself to the caf out there. I'm assuming it was yours?" she said while taking a sip of the steaming beverage.

"You're welcome to it. You probably need it more than I do."

He watched her walk over to the co-pilot's seat and curl up in it. When she settled, he said, "I wondered when you would wake up."

She scoffed, "It wasn't my choosing. I can assure you."

"How's that?" he asked.

"Well, I was sleeping…somewhat, when a young Twi'lek voice yelled out, 'Geesh, haven't you slept enough? Let some others get some sleep!'" she quirked her lip.

He smiled, "I think it may take Mission a while to get use to your…nighttime activities."

Sage didn't reply as she leaned back and looked out the view port. He knew the nightmares bothered her, but didn't feel comfortable asking about them. He saw her embarrassment over them one of the few human qualities he'd identified in her.

She took another drink from her cup and said, "Well, I guess now's as good of a time as any to adjust to Dantooines solar schedule." She turned to look at him, "What time of day is it at the academy?"

Carth punched in a few keys and read the display. He smiled slightly in amusement, "0300."

She harrumphed, "I guess not."

"How's your wound?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah…" She pulled up her shirt to reveal a completely healed wound. He knew he shouldn't look so openly at her exposed midsection, but figured he'd seen so much of it in the past two days that once more wouldn't matter. It was the first time he'd seen it without the big gash and he found himself admiring it. But then he caught himself and quickly turned away.

"I was about to do a status check on the ship…would you like to help?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Sure."

They spent the next hour going over various systems. He found the task went a lot quicker with someone else to look things up for him. However, Sage's patience wore thin after a while. When he asked her when the last time the port side refresher was adjusted, she gave him an irritated look, "How much longer is this going to take?"

He chuckled, "Why, do you have something better to do?"

She frowned, "I could think of something, trust me."

"I have no doubt," he said as he gave up the task for another time.

She thought for a moment and then turned in her seat to face him. He knew he wasn't going to like this from the set determination in her eyes. He prepared himself for the conversation he knew was coming.

She started, "So, two Jedi turned on the Republic…and now you no longer trust anyone," she paused. "It seems to me there might be something missing there."

Carth shook his head and growled, "I thought I said I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Can't you just leave it?"

She kept looking at him, unwavering. He shifted under her gaze.

"What gives you the right to badger me with constant questions?"

She rolled her eyes, "Do we have another problem, now?"

"Isn't there someone else you can harass for a little while?"

She looked around with a smirk on her face, "Doesn't look like it."

"Blast it, if you aren't the most frustrating woman to talk to!"

She studied him a moment, somewhat amused that he found her frustrating. She looked around her seat, collected her cup, and stood up, "Alright, then, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want."

"Wait…" He sighed, "I didn't mean it that way." She walked towards the door. He wasn't sure why, but he jumped up from his seat, "Don't go, damn it."

She stopped. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed, "Alright, story for a story?"

She rubbed her chin as if contemplating it, then flicked her wrist nonchalantly, "Deal. But first I want something else to drink." She pointed over to the wide view port and circled her finger around, "And that swirling is giving me a headache."

* * *

The common area was dimly lit to the twilight setting. Neither made an attempt to raise it. Once they had their drinks, they sat on the couch. They sat close, she with her legs curled up and facing him. He wondered at what point they had become so comfortable with each other as he reclined back into the seat.

She sat patiently waiting for him to start, which was a nice surprise. However, he wondered if the change in scenery was such a good idea when she released her clasp and let her hair fall loosely upon her shoulders. He almost lost his nerve, but knew he'd never get away with it.

He rotated his position so he faced her better, "Look, I suppose I…could use someone to talk to. I'm just not used to it." He looked at her with mock suspicion, "And I don't know why you're so interested." She donned a mischievous grin that made him chuckle, effectively easing his tension a little.

He put his elbow on the back of the couch and ran his hand through his hair before starting, "When I think of all the men who have betrayed us, the one that stands out above them all is the one I respected the most…Saul."

She looked away in thought. The name sounded familiar, but she came up with nothing.

He explained, "Admiral Saul Karath is the commander of the entire Sith fleet. He's half the reason Malak has done so well in the war."

"And he was a friend of yours?"

He nodded mournfully, "Saul was my commanding officer back when the Mandalorian Wars first began. He taught me everything about being a soldier…and I looked up to him," the last part was a painful admission. He started pulling at a seam on the side of his knee that separated them, "Saul approached me before he left. He talked to me about how the Republic was on the losing side…and about how I should start thinking of my survival." He laughed bitterly and paused, remembering the day clearly.

"I know now that he was trying to recruit me into the Sith, but I couldn't have conceived of it back then." He stopped his fidgeting and stared down at his hand resting on his knee.

"How did you respond?" she asked.

He snorted, "I argued with him and he got angry and he left."

"Did you ever see him again?"

He looked up at her, "No."

She had listened to everything he said, trying to understand the depth of his hatred, "You didn't think he would betray the Republic?"

He winced as if that was so, but not all of it. He tried to explain, "Saul was my mentor…he led us to so many victories against the Mandalorians, even when things looked to be at their worst."

He looked at her intently, trying to make her understand, "I just…I couldn't conceive of it. He…he couldn't be serious." He grunted, "I was wrong, of course…he not only left us for the Sith, he…he gave them the codes to bypass our scanners."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring off to the side at nothing, "I remember waking up as the first of the Sith bombers snuck past our defenses and began destroying half of our docked ships." He shook his head slowly, "I knew right away what had happened."

She waited patiently for him to continue. After a moment, he looked back at her, "I…could have stopped him. I could have stopped it all."

He seemed so sure of it. To take on the weight of the galaxy was an awfully big feat. _No wonder he's so intense._ "Do you really believe that?"

He threw up his arms, "I don't know. Maybe." He rubbed his eyes, "He might have killed me if I'd tried, or I might have killed him. I was stupid, however, and I let him go."

They sat in silence and she could tell his anger increased the more he thought about it. He finally said while clenching a fist, "I've fought Saul for years, now, and if I ever catch up to him…he will regret what he's done. He will regret it."

She knew there was more, there had to be to react so severely. He was taking it much too personally. She could understand him being upset and hurt, but it went far beyond that. From what she was able to tell about Carth Onasi in the short time she had known him, he was much more complex than that. She reached out and took his hand in hers, loosening his fingers. The calming movement negated its effect as Carth was unsure of the intimacy of the gesture.

After a few moments, she asked, "So that's all of it, then?"

He sighed mournfully, "No. No, it's not."

He squeezed her hand in his and said pleadingly, "But I don't want to talk about it right now." He silently hoped he'd never have to talk about the rest with her.

She nodded.

They stayed there in silence for a short time. She finally released his hand, "It's late, you really should get some sleep."

He agreed distractedly and they both stood. She grabbed the cups they were drinking from and went to store them while he walked toward the dormitory. He was lost in thought, _Why do I tell her this stuff? Next thing you know, I'll be telling her about…_ He stopped in his tracks, "Hey!"

She put the cups away before she looked at him. He approached her quickly and poked a finger to her chest, "You owe me a story."

"Now?" she asked in mock disbelief.

He smiled knowingly, "Now."

She scoffed, "Surely it can wait until tomorrow…you're tired…go to bed."

He cocked his head to the side, "Nice try." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back over to the couch and sat her down.

As he sat down, she crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly, which did nothing but get her an expectant raised eyebrow.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

He laughed lightly at her attempt to avoid any discussion about her. He thought for a moment, "What happened after your ship crashed?"

She ran her fingers through her hair lazily, "I was rescued and taken to a medical center on Nar Shaddaa. There, I was treated for extensive injuries and spent quite some time in a kolto tank."

"What kind of injuries?"

She waved a hand nonchalantly, "Plasma burns, a few broken bones, a little damage to my nervous system…you know, the usual."

He winced, "How long were you in the tank?"

"Two months."

He stopped to think a moment, "Then what?"

"There was a Jedi there. He was apparently the one that found me in the first place. He was on another mission when he tapped onto my ships distress call. Thankfully, he found me before the Hutt's did. Given my injuries, he didn't have a choice but to take me to Nar Shaddaa."

"It sounds like he saved your life." She nodded. "What about your ship?"

She scoffed, "The Hutt's took my ship. I was suspected of trying to retrieve spice. After analyzing what was left of my ships records, they determined my crash was not intentional," she chuckled at that.

"So what did you do?"

"I thought it was a good idea to get off Nar Shaddaa, but, without a ship, my options were limited. The Jedi who rescued me was able to find me an assignment on the Endar Spire."

It all seemed simple enough, he still wasn't so sure why she was reluctant to explain it, _Probably just to torment me_. "Any idea what caused the crash."

"Nope…the Hutt's had it picked apart and removed before I even woke up. They gave me what was left of my logs, but there wasn't any evidence of what happened."

_That_ concerned him. "What were you doing when it happened?"

She thought about how to answer, but instead tipped her nose up in the air and said, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

He blinked, "What? Come on."

"Unless, of course, you're willing to continue your story," she challenged.

He frowned, "Somehow you seem to get much more out of these little talks than I do."

She winked at him and smiled. She stood and reached a hand out to help him up, "Goodnight, Flyboy."

He tried to glare at her grudgingly before finally accepting her help. He stood in front of her, still holding her hand. She looked up at him and wondered if he'd finally have the nerve to kiss her. He fought the urge to do so. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand before releasing it, "Goodnight."

She watched him retreat to the men's quarters and decided there was no use in wondering.

* * *

After Carth went to bed, Sage took a shower and got dressed. She roamed around the ship to check out any areas she hadn't seen the first night. She made it to the common area and decided to make herself something to eat. She looked through the options and decided soup looked like the best option. However, what came out looked more like sludge. She grimaced. A rough voice came from the other side of the room, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you."

Sage looked over at Canderous standing in the doorway, "Trust me, I wasn't planning on it."

He walked over to the display and punched in a code. A door slid open to reveal a rather large collection of ration bars. Sage took one and groaned.

Canderous responded, "Packaged stuff is the best you're going to get for now."

"You'd think a guy like Davik Kang would have his ship better stocked than this," she said.

"He kept stuff in containers, but the synthesizer needs regular use. With the quarantine, it was down for a couple of weeks," he explained.

She found some packaged juice and sat down on the couch. Canderous left the room. After finishing what passed for a meal, she leaned her head back on the couch and fell asleep.

* * *

After his shower, Canderous decided to check out the cargo hold for any more food they could eat. He'd spent a lifetime hunting and killing his meals, and ration bars were a far cry from the real thing. He'd heard of a creature called an iriaz, and looked forward to hunting them on Dantooine. From what he had been told by the Jedi woman, there wasn't much else to do on the planet.

After finding some dehydrated meals, he went to the common area to store them. He found Sage sleeping, _What is it with women and that couch?_

Without anything else to do, he went back to the garage to work on the various weapons that had been dumped there since they boarded the ship. He was actually fairly impressed with the stash his traveling companions were able to acquire. In fact, he was sure they came with more weapons than clothing. The pilot didn't really like him messing with all of it, _But he ain't here, is he,_ the thought bringing a twisted smile to his lips.

* * *

Sage woke to a static-like sound. She opened one eye to see Mission sitting at her feet eating something from a wrapper. She slowly lifted herself from the lying position she found herself in. Mission looked over at her, and with a mouth full of food said, "I never saw someone sleep as much as you."

Sage rubbed her eyes, _Force, please tell me we're almost at Dantooine._

* * *

Canderous was adjusting the new scope on his blaster when Sage walked in. He didn't look up from his work, "Yeah? What do you want?"

Sage cocked an eyebrow and smirked. She pulled up a seat, "Just trying to pass the time."

"Well don't expect me to entertain you."

She chuckled, "That would certainly be a sight to see."

He snorted, but continued with the blaster. She finally started by propping a booted foot on the workbench he was working at, "So, Canderous, tell me a little about yourself."

He glanced at her and her foot, "What is this, an interrogation? If so, don't bother, your Republic friend already tried."

She laughed at that. "Okay then, how about a match?"

He laughed heartily, "Are you challenging me?"

"Only if you think you can handle it," she said with a sly smile.

He laughed harder, "This ought to be quick."

She stood up and stretched her arms, legs, and back. Sleeping for as long as she did after battling her way off Taris left her muscles quite stiff. Although, hand to hand combat with a Mandalorian was admittedly more than she had been looking for. She devised a plan, _Keep him talking._ "Tell me about the Mandalorians."

He grunted as he pulled off his tunic. He walked over so that he towered over her, "You want to hear tales of my exploits? Of the wars I've seen and fought, the enemies I've seen die by my hand?" He said it with a wicked grin, hoping she'd get the hint and drop it.

She pulled her shirt over her head to reveal the Republic issued tank she wore underneath, "Why not?"

He was amused by the fact that she didn't seem easily intimidated. He stepped back to give her an appraising look. She didn't falter. He chuckled, "Heh, sure, I'll humor you."

He put his blaster in a locker before starting, "I've been fighting across the galaxy for 40 of your years."

"How many of _your_ years is that?" she interrupted.

He gave her a look that said, 'You'll never know,' and continued without answering, "For my people it's the honor and glory of battle that rules us. It's through combat that we prove our worth, gain renown and make our fortunes."

They squared off in a space that would keep them away from the swoop bike. "Is that why the Mandalorians attacked the Republic?" she asked while dodging his first strike.

He stepped back to evade her kick, "Exar Kun and his Sith came to us with an offer: to fight a worthy enemy in a battle that would be remembered forever." He attempted a low kick, from which she barely jumped out of the way in time. He kept on, "Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained." He caught her fist before it landed and yanked her forward. "The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us." She followed through with the momentum and flipped in the air to slow her progress toward the ground. "If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless," he let out a grunt when her foot landed in his gut on her return.

His next attack proved his words, "We Mandalore take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death…against oblivion." The next blow came down hard upon her shoulder and sent her crumpling to the ground.

She bounced up quickly and they started circling each other. Sage took a moment to think through everything he had said. The man showed so much pride in who he was. But his people were nearly non-existent…_losing_ in the battle against oblivion. She wondered where it left men like him, "Then what are you doing now?"

His expression turned hard as she dodged another powerful blow, "The days of combat and glory and cheating death at every turn seem to be over now…I take what I can."

He had to admit she was good. She was small, but much quicker than he was. He was fortunate his height made aerial attacks less effective. "Times have changed now," he grunted as he landed a blow square in her chest, knocking her breathless for a moment. She recovered quickly and they continued their thrusts and parries, talking the whole while, "The Mandalore clans have been scattered across the Outer Rim, the Republic is in decline and the Sith Empire rises to take its place. The clans as they were aren't a threat, but the galaxy still fears us." He laughed bitterly at that. "People think we war out of spite, or bloodlust. They don't understand, and fear that."

She sent a flurry of attacks his way; he was able to dodge most, "We only wanted the challenge of the battle, and glory from it – win or lose. And we lost."

She landed a couple more blows before he was able to push her back, "But now I have no real challenges. Crushing Davik's enemies and the pathetic gangs in the Lower City of Taris could not be considered the most glorious of tasks."

They circled each other again, both sweaty and winded. The conversation had brought a dark mood upon him and his next attack was the most powerful yet, "When I think of the battles I've fought…the thousands I've killed…the worlds I've burned…I weep for my past." By the time he had finished talking, he had her pinned against the wall with his forearm across her neck.

The door to the garage slid open and Bastila walked in to check on the commotion she had heard. She stood shocked at what she saw. Sage took the distraction and wrapped a leg around the Mandalorian, pulling at the same time as she launched herself into him. Both went crashing to the floor. He grabbed her foot as she tried to get up and dragged her towards him. He pounced on her back and held her down with his own weight. He leaned down and said in a low growl, "We'll never speak of this again."

He got up and grabbed his tunic before exiting the room.

With a few groans, Sage raised herself up into a sitting position. She scooted over and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She looked over at the stunned expression on Bastila's face and let out a chuckle that turned into a cough.

"What in blazes were you doing?" the younger woman asked as she handed Sage her discarded shirt.

Sage accepted it with a smile, "Talking."

* * *

Carth walked out of the fresher and nearly collided with a sweat soaked Mandalorian.

Canderous said while nodding towards the fresher, "You done in there?"

Carth was trying to figure out what happened to the man. He wore a wet undershirt and sported a bloody lip. He stepped aside and motioned for the man to enter where he had just emerged from. _He must have picked a fight with the wookiee._

He went to the common area to make some caf. After retrieving a cup, he went to sit and watch the pazaak game between Mission and Zaalbar. Just as he sat down, Sage and Bastila entered the room and Carth nearly choked on his beverage. Sage's gray tank was just as soaked as Canderous' had been and her bare arms were completely covered with red marks. The rip in her pants she wore while escaping the Endar Spire was now twice the size it was before.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"I got my butt kicked by a Mandalorian, that's what happened to me," she said with a wry smile.

Carth rose from his seat, "HE did this to you?" _I knew he was bad news._

Sage's expression was of total amusement at the alarm struck in her hero. She smiled big, which confused him even more. He looked at Bastila for an explanation.

Bastila's lips were set in a thin line, "She apparently asked for it."

He looked back at Sage with that all too familiar 'are you insane' look. She continued on to the dispenser for a drink and threw back, "Well, _you_ were sleeping, so I couldn't offer to kick _your_ butt."

He heard the snickering coming from the girl and the wookiee and was immediately affronted by her insinuation. He got up to follow her. He talked lower to keep the others out of the conversation, "Are you so sure it would be _my_ butt on the line?"

She smiled as she took a sip of water. She walked close to him on her way out and said quietly, "You're right. You have been eyeing mine for a while now, so maybe I should watch it a little more closely." She finished by smacking him on the behind, making him jump slightly.

She left him standing there with his back to the room. He tried desperately to hold back the smile, which only succeeded in his mouth twisting in every other way to hide it. He'd been caught…with no regrets.

Before Sage made it to the hallway leading to the starboard fresher, Mission called out to her. "Hey Sage, if you want, I could probably fix those for you," she pointed to the pants in question.

Sage looked down at the torn clothing. They were her favorite and she was rather peeved at the Sith who put the initial tear in them. "Alright, let me throw them in the cleaner first."

* * *

It was about time somebody finally paid attention to the battered utility droid. T3 was struck with debris during their escape from Taris. Carth noticed a quirk had developed that made the droid pivot right before its motivators would kick in to send it in the proper direction.

He and Zaalbar took the droid back to the garage to begin work on it. Fixing it wasn't easy given the major communication barrier between the pilot and the wookiee. After some tremendous acting skills from Zaalbar, they were able to fix the quirk and Carth learned to understand one or two shyriiwook phrases. He was sure he wouldn't remember them in the future, but they got the job done. There was still the matter of the battered chassis, but it would have to wait until they found a droid shop.

* * *

Mission was working on sewing the pants while Sage and Carth played pazaak.

Bastila sat down in a chair next to Sage and said, "I wondered if I could speak to you about something."

Sage looked at her out of the corner of her eye, "Can we talk about it here?"

"I suppose," the younger woman said. Though she had hoped for a private conversation, Sage wasn't one to sit in a single place for a long period of time. She couldn't fathom how the woman ever managed her meditation training. Yet, a question burned in her mind that she had to ask.

"It's about the Sith Governor you encountered on Taris," Bastila began.

Both Sage and Carth stopped their game to look at Bastila. Sage said, "What about him? We already talked about the powers he used on us."

"Yes, I know, but this isn't about that." She shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of not one, but two others. "You mentioned he spoke to you..."

The two players returned to their game. Sage looked at the cards Carth had in front of him and gave him a suspicious look. She'd played sabacc with him before and knew he had a good sabacc face. That seemed to carry over to pazaak as well. She answered Bastila after receiving her next card, "He was going on about breaking his meditation and some other stuff I can't really remember."

Carth spoke up, "He was mostly interested in her…kept talking about how strong she was in the Force."

"Indeed. Did you say anything to him?" Bastila asked.

Sage gave her an irritated look, "What difference does it make?"

Bastila straightened her posture, "I merely wondered if you made an attempt to save him."

The older woman's expression turned incredulous, "_Save_ him? Why would I save him? So he can go off and kill other people?" She watched Carth play his next card.

"Have you no mercy?" Bastila asked.

Sage's face scrunched up, "It isn't about mercy. It's about eliminating the threat here and now before it gets bigger. That guy was about to earn his lightsaber…I'm sure that puts him higher in the ranks of what kind of damage he can do."

Bastila was torn, "Do you not believe everyone deserves a second chance?"

Sage gave her a level look, "We weren't there to give second chances. We needed codes…and nobody was stopping us from getting them. Saving is for Jedi."

"That sounds like victory at all costs," Bastila observed. Carth was about to object…he didn't see it like that.

Sage sighed, "To be honest…no, the moral dilemma of whether or not to save the dark sider never entered my thoughts. Tell me, Bastila, did you try to save Revan?"

Bastila relied on her Jedi training to cover up her reaction to the question. How could she have thought about the conversation so many times without seeing _that_ question raised? It was obvious she was in over her head on this one and would have to leave the discussion to the masters. She had a reprieve when Sage was distracted by the card her opponent played.

Carth held a smug expression while Sage stared at his cards in disbelief. She looked up at him, "What did you do?"

He defended himself, "What?"

She glared at him before standing up to leave. She walked by him and leaned down by his ear, "Cheater."

He laughed as he collected his cards and called after her retreating form, "Sore loser!"

Mission handed her the repaired pants. Sage looked at them with a smile, "Thanks, Mission, they look great. Hey, I'm going to sleep for a bit…wake me up when you come in."

Carth announced, "We're arriving at the Jedi Academy in ten standard hours."

* * *


	22. Meeting the Jedi

A/N: Special thanks to my new beta, Lossefalme. This is the most I've ever asked of her and I'm very grateful.

* * *

The _Ebon Hawk_ came out of hyperspace just short of Dantooine. The planet came closer into view as Bastila requested permission to land from the Jedi Academy. From the seat behind the pilot's, Sage strained her neck to look over Carth's shoulder. He handled the transition into the atmosphere seamlessly. A beautiful landscape presented itself beneath them. Grasslands, rivers, and seas spread across the small planet. 

Bastila sighed deeply in reverence. She spoke to nobody in particular in a faraway voice, "Dantooine…it seems like a lifetime since I last set foot on her surface, though in truth it has only been a few months. We should be safe from Malak here…for now, at least.

Carth wasn't convinced, "Safe? You saw what his fleet did to Taris."

Bastila countered, "Even the Sith would think twice before attacking Dantooine. There are many Jedi here, including several of the most powerful Masters of the Order. There is great strength within this place."

_Whatever_, Carth thought as he skillfully set down in their assigned docking bay. He knew Malak didn't have to think twice. All he had to do was position himself up above the planet and start firing. _What would the Jedi do about that? Nothing…as usual._

Bastila stood, "Sage, you may help Carth with the shut down procedures. You can get supplies here and recuperate. The Academy is a place of mental and spiritual healing; something we could all use after what we've been through."

She walked to the doorway, "Now I must go speak with the Council. I need their advice on…recent developments. After I have met with them I will meet you outside the ship."

Sage waited until she saw Bastila leave the ship through the view port, "Are all Jedi that dramatic?"

He smirked, "She takes herself pretty seriously."

"You got that right," she agreed.

They finished up the shut down sequence when Sage said, "Are you ready for some fresh air?"

He smiled, "Definitely."

She turned towards him, "How long has it been?"

He shook his head slowly as he tried to remember, "Maybe a year. How about you?"

"I don't know. But it's been so long I hope my lungs don't explode from the over-abundance of oxygen."

He chuckled at that. Being on ships, space stations, and city planets didn't give a person much opportunity to breathe naturally generated air.

* * *

The travelers exited the ship and took in the fresh air of Dantooine. Mission took a deep breath and started to cough. Nobody had thought of the fact that Mission hadn't been off Taris since she was a small child. Carth informed her, "You don't have to breathe in so hard here. The air is much different." 

Mission nodded and attempted to take smaller breaths. Her eyes grew wide in wonder, "That's so weird!"

Sage and Carth both had genuine smiles as they watched the young girl walk around, trying to adjust to the new sensation. They flashed each other looks full of pride as she marveled at the trees and the feel of grass beneath her feet.

* * *

They waited quite a long time for Bastila to return. Carth went back aboard the _Ebon Hawk_ to contact the fleet. Canderous kept to himself, lying on an out-of-the-way bench. 

Sage set off to explore the enclave with Mission and Zaalbar in tow. They didn't have much luck finding anything. There were a few shops and a small café in the docking area. Mission was delighted to find so many Twi'lek's to speak her native tongue. Soon she had the latest on Czerka Corporation and a missing girl.

When they made it back to the ship, Carth was not in a good mood. Sage approached him while Mission and Zaalbar went aboard to collect some items to sell. She asked, "What's got you all worked up?"

He huffed, "Forget it."

She fought back her amusement at how impossible he could be.

He noticed her smirk. "What?" he demanded.

She put her hands up in defense, "Hey, I'm fairly certain it wasn't me this time."

He sighed, "It's not." He grumbled as he pointed to the enclave, "It's them."

Sage looked off in the direction he pointed and decided to irritate him more, "Who? Those two Twi'lek's over there…maybe the merchants?"

It worked as he scowled, "No…the Jedi."

She was starting to learn bit by bit how to get that man to talk. She waited.

"I tried to get in touch with my superiors…to let them know I'm alive. They have no way to determine whether I've been compromised until they hear back from the Jedi. However, nobody will tell me anything while the Council is in session with Bastila," he explained. He paced in front of the ship as he clenched his fists. He stopped and threw up his hands, "I mean…what's taking so long? She's been in there for hours! It's all very simple. We were attacked, we crashed, she was captured, we found her, we escaped…and in the meantime, the planet was destroyed!" He paced again, "And something tells me they already knew that part!"

Sage had taken a seat on a nearby bench while she listened. Bastila had been with the Council most of the day and the little bit of food offered at the café was not enough to hold everyone over. They were all hungry and nobody wanted to eat ration bars again.

Canderous walked over and sat next to Sage. He leaned back and took the cigarra out of his mouth, "What are we doing here again?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I guess we're going to ask the Jedi if we can hang out here until everyone figures out where they're going."

* * *

It was late in the day when Bastila returned. Carth approached her as soon as he saw her, "Please tell me the session is over…I need to contact the fleet as soon as possible." 

"Yes, of course. The Council has already sent confirmation of your arrival. Rear Admiral Boleeq is awaiting your call," Bastila said. She added, "I have spoken briefly with the Council; they request an audience with you, Carth. We should go first thing in the morning."

Carth had started towards the ship when he stopped to ask, "An audience with the Jedi Council? That's pretty unusual for someone who isn't even a Jedi. What's this about, Bastila?"

"The Council wishes to debrief you concerning the _Endar Spire_ and your time on Taris. I've explained as much as I can, but they have further questions I am unable to answer."

Carth nodded, knowing it was standard protocol.

* * *

Night fell upon the Academy. Sage was tired and knew she needed to get some sleep before Mission came in and kicked her out…again. She couldn't figure out why Bastila chose to remain on the ship with the rest of them. However, since there were two others in the dormitory, she felt guilty keeping them awake all night. She put off going to bed as she waited for Carth to finish his call. She was curious to know what the outcome would be and just how soon it would be before he left. She felt understandably closer to him than any of the others, and was truly sorry to see him go. 

The door slid open to the communications room and Carth emerged. He seemed…relieved. He walked into the common room where Sage and Zaalbar were playing dejarik. They had picked up the game from one of the merchants earlier and were happy to have something other than pazaak to play.

She looked up from the game as a smiling Carth sat next to Zaalbar. She said, "I take it your call went well?"

"Yes. The Jedi had already requested a transport that left Coruscant shortly after we arrived here. It should be here in about a week if it can keep its course."

Sage nodded as she absently made her next move on the board. Zaalbar howled in victory as one of his pieces quickly swept up hers and crushed it. She frowned at the sight.

Carth continued, "It shouldn't be too bad. I could probably work on the ship for you in the meantime."

She could tell how excited he was about leaving and she was happy for him. She stared at the board in front of her, unsure of her next move. She really didn't feel like playing anymore, "Big Z, I'm tired. Can we save this until tomorrow?"

"/As you wish/" he said before he deactivated the board.

She turned her attention back to Carth, who was already looking around, trying to figure out what he could get done.

"I'm glad you were able to get through," she said.

"So am I. It drove me nuts waiting all day. Do you know the Jedi announced my arrival to them late this morning? They could have told me!" he complained.

"Goodnight," she said before heading to the women's quarters.

* * *

The next morning, Carth had his debriefing with the Council, which consisted of four men. Bastila was also in attendance. It didn't go well. He found their questions…odd. They didn't seem concerned about the _Endar Spire_ attack or the Sith occupation of Taris. Instead, they asked about the rakghoul disease of all things. He didn't know why they were asking _him_…he was unconscious through most of the experience. 

The other questions weren't any less strange. He found himself defending his and Sage's actions most of the time. Many questions were asked about Sage, which Carth felt some unknown need to be cautious about answering. One of the Master's in particular was rather cross with him and Carth couldn't figure out why. The little green one eyed him curiously the whole time. He occasionally asked Carth a question about himself that was totally unrelated to the quasi-mission. The Twi'lek asked more sensible questions, while the other man remained silent, making occasional entries into a datapad he held. All in all, he felt like he was being interrogated. _Didn't we just save their golden child?_

Before dismissing him, they told him they reserved the right to question him further throughout the week. The whole experience was rather unnerving. Upon exiting the chamber with Bastila, he asked, "Is it always like that?"

"You must trust in the wisdom of the Council, Carth. Whatever the reasons for their questions, know they are just."

Carth gave her a questioning look out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. He knew there was no point…she was just as bad as the rest of them.

* * *

When they returned to the ship, Bastila informed Sage she was next. 

"Come, they are expecting us. I will lead you to the Council chambers."

Carth didn't want Sage to have to go it alone, so he offered to go with her.

Sage said, "You two go on ahead. I'll be there in a little bit."

Bastila hesitated, but Carth led her back off the ship to go back to the chambers. On their way back, he said, "Is there something I'm missing here?"

Bastila held no expression, something he noticed Sage do that he found particularly disconcerting. She said, "I'm unsure to what you are referring to."

He rolled his eyes, "All the questions…meeting with Sage and I. I don't like being left out of the loop."

Bastila stopped and faced him, "I'm sorry, Carth, but I cannot tell you. All I ask is that you trust in the Force and the wisdom of the Council."

She turned and walked away, leaving Carth more concerned than ever. Something was up.

* * *

Carth sat on a bench outside the Council chambers when Bastila went inside to let them know Sage was on her way. He waited for a good twenty minutes before he started to pace, _What the hell is taking her so long?_

He walked up and down the corridor for another twenty minutes before Bastila emerged from the chamber, "Has Sage not arrived yet?"

He could only give her a helpless shrug. Bastila turned on her heel, trying to hide her frustration, and retreated inside the large room.

Carth went back to the bench and sat in the corner, leaning up against the wall. He must have dozed off, for when he opened his eyes and checked his chrono for the tenth time, another thirty minutes had passed. _Hmm…She must already be in there_.

He was not a patient man, but was curious as to what the Jedi were up to, so he stuck around. He pulled out his pazaak deck and practiced a few hands. After a while, he thought about how long he had been in there earlier and started to get hungry. He figured he had time to grab something to eat before they were done with her.

He walked around the corner and ran smack into Sage. He took a step back, "Wha…You…Are you just now getting here?" he asked incredulously.

She shrugged, "I got lost."

He eyed her suspiciously, "No you didn't."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, at first I ran into some Jedi bi-…" she mock smiled, "woman out there and she started going off on me about not wearing a robe. Then she actually accused me of lying to her about it. I tried to talk to some of the other Jedi, but they're all too busy. I ran into some guy that wanted to play pazaak," she shrugged, "so I played a few hands with him. Then there was this very angry man that was very lucky I was in a decent mood. And did you know we're not allowed to leave the enclave! There was a droid by the exit who said the 'Council hasn't decreed…' I don't know, something along the lines that meant, 'You can't leave.'"

He was speechless after her ramblings and stood there with a stupid grin. He finally said, "Is that all?"

"Well…then I got hungry. And I can't find any place to eat other than the café…believe me, I looked."

He couldn't shake the image of four Jedi Masters standing in a room with Bastila, waiting for an hour and a half for Sage to show up. He smiled big.

She couldn't help but to smile back, "What's so funny?"

He just shook his head, "They're waiting for you inside."

She looked around him at the chamber doors and sighed, "Alright, see you later."

* * *

Sage stood in front of the chamber doors and paused before entering. She felt a bit of apprehension about meeting the Council. Her instincts usually weren't wrong and she entered with her mind on guard. 

Upon entering the large round room, four Masters and Bastila rose from their meditative positions and looked her way. She took in the sight of the completely symmetrical room. The edges were lined with chairs and the room was lit with natural light that filtered through the architectural lighting structures. Sage walked towards the Masters slowly. She studied each one carefully, as they did the same to her. She felt a strange tickling sensation in her mind, much the same that she felt once with Bastila on Taris. She locked eyes with the third man. He straightened his posture more, if that were even possible, and the tickling subsided.

She stopped in front of them, and for some reason unknown to her, bowed stiffly, if only slightly.

The Twi'lek Master to the far right spoke first, "Ah, so you are the one who rescued Bastila. It is appropriate you are here." She noticed Bastila shift her weight at the rescue comment and Sage smiled inwardly. The Jedi continued, "We have been discussing your rather special case. I am Zhar, a member of the Jedi Council." He bowed in greeting. He then gestured to the others with him. First to his immediate right, "With me are Master Vrook, Master Vandar and, of course, the Chronicler of our Academy, Master Dorak. Padawan Bastila I am sure you are already familiar with." Each bowed politely.

Sage had questions ever since arriving, "Isn't the Jedi Council on Coruscant?"

Master Zhar answered, "Yes, the High Council of the Jedi Order is on Coruscant, but we are the Council in charge of the training facility here on Dantooine."

Sage nodded and then got straight to the point, "What do you want from me?"

The Twi'lek answered with a knowing smile, "Bastila tells us you are strong in the Force. We are considering you for Jedi training."

_Did she tell me that?_ she thought, _Maybe_. "Strong in the Force?" she asked.

The stodgy looking guy, _Duke was it?_ spoke up, "Master Zhar speaks out of turn, perhaps. We need indisputable proof of your strong affinity to the Force before we would even consider accepting you for training."

_Wait, did they just say 'training?'_

Bastila spoke up, "Proof? Surely the entire Council can feel the strength of the Force within this woman…and I have already related to you the events that took place on Taris…"

_Whoa, this is all her fault?_

Master Vrook countered, "Perhaps it was simple luck."

Master Zhar disagreed, "We both know there is no luck. There is only the Force. We all feel the power in Bastila's companion, though it is wild and untamed." _I'll give you wild and untamed if someone doesn't tell me what the hell is going on around here!_ He continued, "Now that this power has begun to manifest itself, can we safely ignore it?"

_Hello, I'm standing right here!_

Master Vrook objected, again, "The Jedi training is long and difficult, even when working with a young and open mind. Teaching a child is hard. How much harder will it be for an adult to learn the ways of the Jedi?"

Sage finally found a moment to break in, "What if I don't want to train?"

Master Dorak, who had remained quiet until then, explained, "Traditionally the Jedi do not accept adults for training, though there are rare exceptions in the history of our Order. But you are a special case."

Master Vandar said, "I agree with Master Dorak. Many of our own pupils are leaving the Jedi Order to follow the Sith teachings, we need recruits to stand against Malak! With Revan dead…"

Vrook interrupted, "Are you certain Revan is truly dead? What if we undertake to train this one, and the Dark Lord should return?" _If she's dead, she's dead._

Vandar gave the man to his left a warning look, "We should discuss this matter more fully in private." He turned to the younger woman, "Bastila, you and your companion must go. This is a matter for the Council alone…"

Bastila bowed, "As you wish, Master Vandar. We shall return to the _Ebon Hawk_ and leave you to your deliberations." She motioned for Sage to exit the chamber.

Sage was dumbstruck. She looked at each of the Masters in utter confusion. _What just happened here?_ She glanced at Bastila, who waited patiently. She looked back to the Masters with earnest, "Wait a minute…I have some questions." Everyone stilled as a different kind of tension hung in the air around them. She could somehow tell Bastila stood behind her in complete shock.

Master Zhar spoke, "Miss Sage, I'm sure you have many questions that we will gladly answer…in time. For now, you have been dismissed by the Council."

She studied the man a moment, neither gaze faltering, "You know what…don't bother wasting any time on me. I'm not interested in being a Jedi. I'll just get in the ship I flew in on and find another planet to go to." She turned to follow Bastila out.

Master Vrook spoke sharply, stopping her retreat, "You would proceed to run about the galaxy in a stolen ship?"

She turned to him and smiled snidely, "I'm sure it's not the first time that ship was stolen…and I can guarantee the previous owner will not be looking for it,"

Master Vandar said, "Marin Sage, you seem not to understand the seriousness of the matter. We wish to speak to you further. But first the Council must confer on a few matters before we are free to do so. We ask you to stay on Dantooine to discuss this more."

He seemed more reasonable than the others. She reached for that ever-existing intuition and, for the first time, found it strangely absent. The Jedi had helped her before when she needed it, although the attempt failed when they put her on a soon-to-be-destroyed vessel. At least this time she had a ship…which meant she had options. She decided to give the Council the time they needed. She would use that same time to speak to the others.

"My companions and I have been living off ration bars for the past few days. Is there any chance we can leave the Academy in order to find something else to eat?"

"We will have prepared meals sent to the _Ebon Hawk_ shortly," Master Vandar offered.

That didn't answer the entire question, but it would have to do for now since they weren't very forthcoming with any other information. She gave a curt nod before turning and brushing past Bastila.

* * *

Carth was on his way back to the Council chamber when Sage came around a corner with that look in her eyes that meant, 'Don't mess with me.' Bastila followed swiftly behind. He opened his mouth to ask Bastila what was going on and was met with a raised hand up between them as she continued walking. _Did she just shush me?_

"I don't understand your reaction to this, Sage. Any other person would be greatly honored by what the Jedi are considering for you," Bastila stated.

"I'm not talking about this with you, Bastila. You've already taken several liberties regarding me as it is," Sage said without looking at the other woman.

_And I'm paying the price_, the younger woman thought. Sage stopped and Bastila nearly ran into the back of her. Sage turned and gave her a cold look, "Excuse me?"

Bastila stood shocked. She knew she didn't say it out loud. She realized it wasn't the first time this had happened and it troubled her.

Before she had a chance to think of a response, Carth stepped up and asked, "Will somebody tell me what's going on here?"

Sage tore her gaze from the other woman, "She can explain it." She turned on her heel and walked onto the ship.

Carth looked expectantly at Bastila. She watched Sage with a frown before she looked up at Carth, "I'm not at liberty to say." She, too, walked away, leaving a very confused man.

* * *

Carth tried to find time during the evening to speak with Sage alone. He wasn't sure if she was avoiding him or was otherwise distracted. He supposed whatever was going on with her was really none of his business. He was leaving in a few days and she probably didn't see much point in confiding in him. Still, they hadn't talked much since they had arrived on the planet early the day before and he didn't realize how much he had grown accustomed to having her around. 

Sage, for her part, was frustrated. Where Carth and Bastila seemed to have some direction as to where they were going…the rest of her companions did not. Zaalbar was still sticking to the whole life debt thing and she had yet to figure out how to get out of that one. Carth offered for Mission to travel to Coruscant with him, but the young Twi'lek was unsure about leaving Zaalbar. Canderous was waiting…for what, she didn't know. However, she felt he was curious to see what she was going to do. Therefore, the lives of three others hung in wait to see what she would do. She had hoped one of them had a decent idea or even a destination in mind.

As for the Jedi, she wasn't sure why she was so annoyed with them. She wondered why they would call her in front of them, open a conversation, and close it before she had a chance to respond. They seemed…stuffy. She wasn't sure how she fit in with them, but so far…she didn't. She also didn't like how Bastila took it upon herself to recommend her for training. She felt the proper thing for Bastila to have done would have been to ask Sage first.

As far as Carth was concerned, he may as well have already been on Coruscant.

_

* * *

The Republic was in full force against the Mandalorians along the Outer Rim. The Jedi Council had yet to offer their assistance. Revan had worked desperately to try to convince them, but to no avail. She had done extensive research on a possible weapon that could be of great use to the Republic, everything she had gathered had come to a mysterious dead end. One piece of evidence she found pointed to Dantooine. She and Malak had explored the planet thoroughly throughout their lives. Both knew there was only one place that could hold the answers they sought…the forbidden ruins. _

_Revan had made a special trip to the Academy to visit Malak. It was something she did often, therefore little was thought of it. Soon after she arrived, they set out for the ruins they knew to be in an ancient grove._

_They approached the tomb-like structure and Revan studied the markings on the apparent doorway. She had contemplated the entrance before, but had a much better understanding of the symbols after consulting ancient texts she had found in their travels._

_Malak stood off to the side. He started into his usual 'trying to be the sensible one' mode. She knew it was all a ruse. She could feel his anticipation through their bond. He only ever said these things as a disclaimer of some sort. Then later on he could say, "I tried telling her." It had been like that since childhood. She had never cared about taking the blame. Small punishments were minor compared to the fun they'd had breaking the rules. But every time he would warn her. She remembered one of the times they had "borrowed" a speeder. She could feel his excitement as he jumped in the passenger seat, despite his words, "We shouldn't be doing this."_

_There was little difference this time. She didn't pay any attention…he said the necessary warning…they continued on anyway, never looking back. However, this time it wasn't about breaking the rules. The ancient Jedi had sealed the passageway for a reason. As Malak said, "The dark side is strong in this place. I can feel its power." His voice quivered._

_Once again, Malak was turned on by power…always had been. She had no doubt he was highly aroused at that very moment. It was scary how well she knew him. No matter, it only meant she would have a spare hour that evening to go over everything she found in the ruins while he was off fulfilling some girl's destiny._

_She called upon the Force to guide her movements, and the door slid open. Once inside the dimly lit structure, they were greeted with an information droid. It was of a design neither had ever seen before and stood at the center of a square room with a door on each wall. The droid began to speak in an odd language she had never heard. After several attempts, the droid settled on a version of Selkath which she understood. Revan was completely fascinated with the droid. It offered a tremendous amount of information she had been unable to find in anything before. She took a seat on the ground and held a long discussion with the droid._

_All the while, Malak canvassed the walls of the structure. She saw him pause at one door and close his eyes to sense what was beyond. She could feel his anxiety increase._

_Revan spoke to the droid for almost two hours. Along with the wealth of information it supplied, it also taught her basic concepts of the "Builders" language. Malak had finished his explorations, unable to open any of the doors, and stood off to the side with his arms crossed across his chest, glaring at her. She chuckled to herself. He hated it when she found things to do that he had no interest in._

_She stood up and walked over to him. "Okay, we just have to pass a few tests and it will give us what we came for."_

"_What exactly did we come for?" he asked._

"_We're about to find out."_

_The doors unlocked to both of the side chambers and the two stepped through the doorway on the right. They were immediately met with fire from another droid of unusual design. Both lightsabers flared to life as they dodged the laser bolts sent their way. Revan saw a console behind the droid and motioned for Malak to finish off the droid while she checked it out. He gladly complied._

_Once the droid was destroyed and Revan had completed the assigned tasks from the console, they went to the second chamber and were met with the same situation._

_When they had finished with the droid and console, they came out to the information droid. It alerted them they had passed the tests and were now permitted access to what they sought. The central door unlocked._

_The two stepped inside the doorway and walked down a long wide hallway. At the end was a petal like structure. Both eyed it curiously and Revan reached forth to touch it. The petals opened and a glorious bloom of light sprung out and displayed what appeared to be a partial map of the galaxy._

_She could tell Malak was in complete awe…almost breathing in the power emanating from the device…_Maybe I'll have _two_ hours tonight_, she thought with a smirk._

_She studied the map and made some notes in her datapad. She sighed deeply and stepped back from it feeling disappointed. The device deactivated and closed back to its previous position._

_Malak was brought out of the trance he had fallen into and looked at his friend, "What's wrong?"_

"_It's incomplete," she explained._

"_What was it?" he asked._

"_I believe it was an attempt at a map to the Star Forge. However, it's degraded over time and several vital pieces are missing," she said._

"_So what now?" he asked._

_She shrugged as she turned to walk out, "We don't have time to fill in the pieces. We need a new plan."_

_She didn't have to tell him what that meant. He knew…they were going to war. With or without the Council's approval._

* * *

Sage woke up on the couch in the common room the next morning. She'd had the strangest dream…and actually remembered parts of it. _What was that?_ The dream meant little to her, but left her rather disoriented. 

She was vaguely aware that Carth had walked into the room and stopped when he saw her. He crinkled his brow, "This morning's getting stranger by the minute. First Bastila comes out looking like she saw a ghost, and now you."

She didn't respond. Instead, she stared at the floor and tried desperately to remember the events of the dream. Every little piece she tried to grab onto slipped away as if it were never there. She felt a hand upon her arm. Carth stood next to her with a concerned look on his face, "Are you alright?"

She nodded.

He sat next to her, "Bastila mentioned you should go to the Council chambers before she left. It is no doubt urgent, so you shouldn't keep them waiting."

Sage asked, "Did she say anything else?"

"No, she didn't. She didn't seem well, as I recall…and for that matter neither do you. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.

"I'm fine," she said before standing to leave for the fresher. She left Carth looking curiously after her.

* * *

Sage walked into the chambers and quietly greeted the Masters and Bastila. 

Master Vandar announced, "Bastila has told us of a most unusual development. She claims you and she have shared a dream, a vision of Malak and Revan in the ancient ruins here on Dantooine."

_Shared a dream?_

Master Dorak explained, "These ruins have long been known to us, but we believed them to be merely burial mounds. Perhaps they are more than we first suspected, if Revan and Malak found something there."

Sage was too caught up in the whole 'sharing' part, "What? How would Bastila know if we shared a dream?"

Master Vandar said, "She says that she felt your presence within the dream, the presence she has felt within you ever since…"

Master Vrook interrupted in a warning tone, "Master Vandar!"

Vandar gave him a sideways glance and continued, "…ever since Taris. It is not unknown for this to happen between two people strong in the Force."

Sage glared at Bastila. _One more thing she's kept from me._

Vandar said, "Bastila has described this shared dream to the Council in great detail. We feel it is more than a dream. It is a vision. The Force is acting through you as it acts through Bastila."

Sage shook her head in disbelief as she turned her head back to the Masters, "I am having visions now?"

Master Zhar spoke for the first time, "You and Bastila share a powerful connection to the Force…and each other. This is not unheard of. Connections often form between Master and student, but rarely does a bond develop so quickly."

Vandar added, "Whatever dangers may lie ahead, we cannot ignore the destiny that has brought you and Bastila here to us. Together."

Sage was still having a hard time grasping the bond, "Are you saying I'm…joined with her?"

Vandar nodded, "You and she are linked, as is your fate to hers. Together, you two may be able to stop Darth Malak and the Sith."

_Whoa, whoa, whoa…what did he just say?_

Vrook made his warning clear, "But do not let your head be filled with visions of glory and power! Such thoughts are the path to the dark side."

_Visions of glory and power?_

"The way of the light is long and difficult, as you must learn. Are you ready for such hardship?" Vrook asked.

He waited for her answer, but she just stared at him in shock. All the Masters waited for some sort of response from her, but she was still struggling to absorb everything that had just been said. She looked over at Bastila, "What do you have to say about this?"

"I am only here as an observer," Bastila stated.

Sage's eyes flashed in anger at that statement as it only served to agitate her more. Her gaze flicked back to the Masters, "The bond…how do you sever it?"

Dorak spoke, "Force bonds are a great mystery in the Force. Links of this kind are nearly impossible to extinguish. In time, it may diminish…or it may strengthen. Regardless, it does exist…and your destinies are joined."

She was silent for a while longer and looked at Bastila again. She wondered what this meant. If she was bound to her, why did she always feel uneasy around her?

Vandar interrupted her thoughts, bringing her back to the matter at hand, "Understand that there is little choice in this matter, for you or us. Across the galaxy the numbers of our Order dwindle. We have sent many Jedi in quest of a way to thwart Malak's advance…many have not returned."

_They've run out of Jedi…and now they're picking up people off the streets._

Vandar continued, "The Sith hunt the Jedi down like animals, ambushing and assassinating our brothers wherever they are found. We fear it is only a matter of time until they discover even this hidden refuge."

_Didn't Malak train on Dantooine?_

Vrook stated, "Other Jedi have fallen from the light and embraced the dark side, giving their allegiance to the Sith and Malak, their dark lord."

"So Jedi are turning to the dark side," she stated simply.

Vrook continued, "The lure of the dark side is not easy to resist. Malak's power grows as more and more planets fall to his conquering armies."

Zhar explained, "If Malak is not stopped the Republic will fall, and the Jedi will be hunted to extinction. The galaxy will enter a time of darkness and tyranny not seen for a thousand generations."

Vandar said, "The Council has decreed that you and Bastila must investigate the ancient ruins you dreamed of…once the Council deems you ready."

Dorak added, "Perhaps there you will find some clue, some explanation, of how Revan and Malak were corrupted. And perhaps there you shall find a way to stop them."

They waited once again for her to say something. She finally said, "Thanks, I think, for the offer. But if it's all the same to you, let's get rid of this bond thing, and I'll be on my way."

Vandar said, "The Council understands there is much information for you to ponder. But know this…the bond cannot be removed. You are bound to Bastila. Therefore, you must remain to complete your training."

Sage was quickly feeling backed into a corner. She needed to get away. She started backing up slowly and risked a look at the door. At that moment, she heard the locks engage…surely by one of the Masters. She could feel the blood flowing through her body as she tensed.

"I think you need to let me out of here," she said in a low voice.

Tension mounted throughout the room. Sage looked from one Master to the other. She half expected them to push their robes aside to reveal their weapons.

Her agitation was nearing its peak when she felt a soothing wave attempt to overcome her. Nobody had moved, but she felt it. She mentally fought it off to keep her emotions her own. It felt as creepy as that strange man who had tried to put his arm around her on Nar Shaddaa…the same man who's throat she'd held her dagger to in order to get back the credits he'd stolen from her.

Vrook matched her tone, "The Force flows through you like no student we have ever seen. But you are willful and headstrong…a dangerous combination."

She locked her glare with his. "Then why bother?" she asked.

"I've asked myself that same question," he answered.

Vandar interrupted the stare-down between Sage and the other Master, "Marin Sage, please, take the rest of the day to reflect on the seriousness of this situation. We will reconvene tomorrow morning."

Sage heard the doors unlock and didn't waste any time in leaving. The Masters motioned for Bastila to follow.

* * *

Sage needed space to think…and she quickly realized the ship was not the place. Carth wanted to know what was going on and she couldn't talk at the moment. Bastila quickly found her and said, "I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you." 

Sage shook her head, "No. I'm not talking to you right now."

She fled the ship and examined her options. She felt completely trapped inside the enclave. They weren't allowing her to leave and she felt as if she were suffocating. She remembered something she saw the day before and made her way back into the Academy.

She found a small room with an access panel up above. She dislodged the panel and hoisted herself up through it, finding herself on the roof.

She walked to one end of the building and looked out upon the landscape. There was a large body of water to one side. The other side was a vast expanse of the yellow grass that covered the planet's countryside.

She sighed, the view alone doing wonders to calm her, if only a little. She paced lightly along the rooftop, thinking of all she had learned. She really hadn't acknowledged much since the mention of the bond. Its existence was a great mystery to her. Now that she knew what it was, she could feel it…easily identify it. The uneasiness it caused her was compounded by the fact that she didn't really know Bastila. Further more, she wasn't sure she even _liked_ the younger woman.

A tiny thought entered her mind whether Bastila remembered more of the dream than she did. She certainly wasn't going to ask.

After walking off the excess energy that seemed to come out of nowhere, she found a seat up against a spire so she could look out upon the grasslands. She spent the rest of the day in that spot…much of the time, searching for her lost intuition.

* * *

Night had, once again, fallen upon the Jedi Academy, and Sage still had not returned. Carth sat on a bench outside the Hawk, hoping to get a chance to speak with her. He had tried to ask her what was wrong before she left, but had backed off quickly when she snapped at Bastila…who was another issue altogether. 

Bastila wasn't saying anything. She left the ship with her belongings shortly after Sage disappeared. Carth thought it was best there was a bit of distance between the two women. Something had gone on with the Jedi, and Bastila was definitely involved.

The Council had rubbed Carth the wrong way ever since the ship landed. They seemed determined to give out as little information as possible in all situations. He understood a need for discretion in many instances. However, he hadn't observed a need for it since he arrived. That made him all the more suspicious. There was also the fact they seemed to upset Sage so much. Sure the woman was totally capable of handling herself, but he also knew the Jedi could be very manipulative…something Sage wouldn't take kindly to.

He saw a shadow emerge from the Academy and he watched as a figure came into view. He sighed, it was only Bastila.

She approached, "Is Sage inside."

"No," he responded.

"When you see her, tell her the Jedi have granted her quarters within the enclave. She can find them here," she handed him a datapad before turning to leave.

Carth stared at the datapad in his hand, _Quarters? Here?_

He sat a while longer, wondering why he couldn't go to sleep and talk to her in the morning. The answer was he would probably lay in bed, listening for her return while being tormented by Canderous' snoring.

Off to his left, he heard a rustling sound accompanied by a few snaps. Curious, he got up to take a closer look. The sound was coming from a tree near the ship. Before he could wonder any further, a figure fell from the tree and landed on the ground with an, "Umph." The sight was quite comical as Sage lay on her back, trying to decide if she damaged anything.

Carth walked over to her and offered a hand, laughing all the while, "Are you alright?"

She accepted his hand and said, "I think I underestimated the drop."

She stood and brushed her pants off. He pulled a stick out of her hair and said, "May I ask what you were doing in a tree?"

She winced, "I was using it as a ladder."

"Well, I think you missed a couple of steps," he said with a smirk.

"Is there any food left?" she asked.

"We saved you some. Come on," he invited.

They walked towards the ship and she stopped short of the loading ramp looking at it warily. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Is anybody awake?" her reluctance to see the others was evident in her expression.

He gave her a half smile, "Just me."

He led her onto the ship and she sat down on the couch to remove her boots. He found the remaining food offered by the Academy and handed her the container, "It's not much…Big Z has a big appetite, you know." He sat down next to her.

He waited as she quietly ate her food while he contemplated trying to get her to talk. "Um…" he started, "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"What's going on?"

She groaned, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Isn't that my line?" he asked with a grin.

She smiled, "Most of the time." She finished her food and got up to put the container away. She walked back over to the couch where he waited expectantly. "You're on my bed."

He chuckled, and then, "Oh, that reminds me." He pulled a datapad out of his pocket and handed it to her, "The Jedi have assigned you quarters."

She accepted it and sat down next to him. She read the contents of the pad while he kicked off his boots. She let out a derisive snort, "Does it have a force field around it?"

He gave her a puzzled look, "And why would it have a force field?"

"Well, they seem intent on keeping me here." She gave him a half smile and seemed resigned to tell him at least something. She sighed, "They want to train me."

"Train you? You mean…to be a Jedi?"

She nodded.

"Aren't you a little old for that."

She feigned offense to his statement which drew a smile from him, "You know what I mean."

She was quiet again. He asked, "So why are you so upset about it?"

"There's more…but do I have to get into it right now?"

"No, you look tired. I'm sure you'd be much more comfortable with the quarters they're offering"

She yawned as she lay down on her back and used his right thigh as a pillow, "No, not tonight."

He surprised himself that he didn't jump up when she made herself cozy. He shifted slightly to make her more comfortable and rested his elbow on the back of the couch.

"I'm really kind of tired of even thinking about it. So why don't you tell me what everyone else has been up to."

He complied and told her all about the events of the day. He had started minor repairs on the ship and the utility droid. Zaalbar and Canderous helped while Mission was busy seeing what kind of things she could get into. He noticed Sage relax quite a bit from the new conversation. She continued to use his lap for a cushion and reached up for his hand dangling over the back of the couch. They carelessly intertwined their fingers as they talked and he found the movement quite comforting. So comforting, in fact, it wasn't long before they were both asleep.

An hour later, he woke, startled to find himself where he was. He was still seated with his head resting on the back of the couch. She lay just as she was before, with her hand clasped in his, resting upon her midsection.

He didn't want to disturb her. She usually had enough disruptions throughout the night caused by her nightmares, and he certainly didn't want to add to it. He looked around and found a blanket just within reach of his free arm. He did his best to cover her without waking her. He arched his back to stretch it and wiggled around to settle into the seat. She stirred and turned on her side to face him and released his hand.

He brushed fallen strands of hair away from her face. Tucking a pillow behind his head, he rested his hand upon her side and fell back to sleep.

It wasn't until several hours later he heard a rough cough. He opened his eyes to see Canderous with a smirk on his face that said nobody was fooling him. Carth was surprised they slept the whole night without a nightmare. He looked down at the woman nestled against him and nudged her lightly. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with a soft smile, "Morning." He sighed, _I know I'm going to miss that look_.

* * *


	23. Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Belongs to Lucas & Bioware.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Lossefalme.

* * *

Carth stood topside of the _Ebon Hawk_ and assessed the job of scrubbing the carbon scoring off. He looked at the area around the turret and shook his head. Sage had definitely taken her toll on the hull.

He was skeptical when Sage, Canderous, and Mission had offered to help. He was sure the Mandalorian would know what to do. He had hoped, being a smuggler, Sage would know. However, the young Twi'lek would surely need help to get started. No matter, it wasn't like he didn't have the time since his transport wouldn't arrive for another two days.

He began to explain to Mission how to remove the residue without damaging the hull beneath as Sage watched over his shoulder. He noticed her standing there and threw back, "Haven't you ever manned turrets before?"

Sage ignored him.

Mission asked, "Why do we have to do this?"

Sage said with a sly smile, "Come now, Mission…you know how men like to keep their toys shiny."

Carth took immediate offense and huffed, "That's not the reason! If this stuff builds up…" He stopped when he noticed the smirk on Sage's face. He furrowed his brow and she greeted him with a wink. He realized he should know better than to walk into her traps and sighed, _Damn woman_.

* * *

Bastila didn't know what to expect that morning. However, when she arrived at the Council chambers, she wasn't surprised to find Sage late…as usual. Master Vrook's mood had not lightened since she had last seen him. The longer they waited, the more irritated he became. He, once again, questioned the others as to whether they were doing the right thing. Bastila was surprised to find them discussing the matter in front of her. She figured they only did so because of the bond she shared with Sage.

The bond…she would definitely need to concentrate more time on her shielding abilities. The last thing she needed was for Sage to pick up on an errant thought that could shatter any plans the Council had made. She was confident in her abilities as a Jedi, but the situation at hand went beyond that. All she could do was trust in the Force and the wisdom of the Council.

She was brought out of her musings by another outburst from Vrook, "This is ridiculous. Once again, she's playing the entire Council for fools! Are we sure she's still on the planet?"

"The _Ebon Hawk_ has not requested permission to leave," Master Zhar said calmly.

"She is here…we can all feel her presence," Master Vandar added.

"Then why isn't she _here_?" Vrook ground out.

Vandar turned to the young woman, "Padawan Bastila…perhaps you can give us some insight as to the whereabouts of our guest?"

"If you wish, I could go see what's keeping her," she offered.

Vandar nodded, "Go then."

* * *

Cleaning the carbon scoring was a dirty job and all four were covered in black soot. Carth was on the bow of the ship when Bastila emerged from the Academy. She stopped and called up, "Carth, have you seen Sage this morning?"

Carth looked behind him and called back to Sage on the other end of the ship, "Sage, you have company."

Sage set down her tools and walked to the front of the vessel to look down at Bastila standing below.

Bastila said, "The Council is expecting your presence this morning."

Sage shook her head, "Not today."

Bastila was visibly irritated. "You would allow the galaxy to wait idly on one of your whims?" she asked.

Sage rolled her eyes, _The galaxy again_, "The Council has already ruined two days in a row…I didn't feel like adding another." She then added, "Besides, I had better things to do."

Carth had to stifle a laugh. Sage was filthy from the work they had been doing all morning and for her to say it was better than meeting with the Masters was amusing, to say the least.

Bastila was about to say more, but Sage walked away and returned to her previous task. Bastila stood a moment longer before she turned on her heel and returned to the Academy.

* * *

After two hours more of the tedious work, Canderous asked Sage, "Where's the Wookiee?"

She shrugged, "I don't know what he's doing. He's acting weird, walking around the ship like he's looking for something. I think he's marking his territory."

They both looked up at another outburst from Mission. The girl had not stopped talking since they started working. The constant noise had begun to grate on everyone's nerves.

Mission asked, "Why do we have to do this again?"

Carth sighed heavily, having answered the question already…twice, "The build-up can interfere with the systems. With the mynocks out there, it's best not to have to second guess when something goes wrong."

"What's a mynock?" Mission asked.

Carth went on to explain what a mynock was, but was only rewarded with more questions regarding them. Despite his attempt to hide it, his irritation became evident in his responses. Sage seemed to pick up on it and said, "Hey Mission, what do you say we leave this for the guys to finish up and go find something else to do."

Mission thought it sounded like a great idea…and the two men were relieved to see them go.

* * *

Canderous had been curious about the other soldier since he'd fought with Carth through Davik's estate. He didn't find much point in them getting to know each other, but it was as good of a time as any to ask his questions: "Carth, you fought in the Mandalorian Wars, didn't you?"

Carth gave a quick, "Yeah." It was obvious the pilot was not interested in conversing with Canderous. They had worked together on the ship for the past couple of days in relative silence…which was perfectly fine with the Mandalorian.

Canderous continued, "We may have faced each other in combat. What battles were you in?"

Carth sighed, "I try not to think about my past battles too much. The horrors of war are something I'd rather not relive."

Canderous scoffed, "The horrors of war?" He couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head, "My people know only the glory of battle." He couldn't believe the pilot didn't take pride in his own fighting abilities.

He gave Carth an appraising look, "I'm disappointed in you, Carth. I thought a warrior like you would understand."

Carth returned, "I'm not a warrior, I'm a soldier. There's a difference. Warriors attack and conquer, they prey on the weak. Soldiers defend and protect the innocent – mostly from warriors."

Canderous caught the contempt in the other man's voice and was amused at the fine line Carth had convinced himself he walked. The Mandalorian surmised, "Nice speech. I bet you tell yourself that every night so you can sleep."

Carth only glared at him.

Canderous returned to his task, confirming his suspicions that the pilot was still in denial of his past deeds, "But I accept who and what I am. I don't have to justify it with words – victory in battle is my justification!" Canderous thoroughly believed that the final outcome did not negate the glory of the fight. That was obviously the difference Carth found between a warrior and a soldier.

Carth couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Justification through victory? So what happens when you lose?" He then added sarcastically, "You know, like you did against us."

The Mandalorian laughed at the attempted jab and defended, "You had us outnumbered five to one. You had more ships, more troops, more supplies and the Jedi on your side. And we still made the Republic tremble before we fell!"

Carth rolled his eyes, "Nice speech. I bet you tell yourself that every night so you can sleep." He huffed, "I don't want to talk about this anymore, Canderous. The war is over. You lost."

Canderous resigned himself to the fact they would never understand each other. Nor did it matter since Carth was leaving. Canderous was surprised, however, that a woman such as Sage would be interested in one with such narrow-minded thinking.

Carth, for his part, was troubled by the Mandalorian's thought process. It didn't seem to bother Canderous that his people had lost. Carth supposed it was because they truly had nothing to lose…whereas the Republic had everything to lose. In the end, though, the Mandalorians had lost much more than Canderous Ordo seemed to realize.

* * *

Once Sage and Mission were cleaned up, they went back to the garage. Sage pulled out pieces of armor from the lockers and laid them on the workbench. Mission watched her a few moments before she said, "Uh…Sage…can I talk to you about something?"

The older woman continued what she was doing and said, "Sure."

Mission looked down at the ground. "I…I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted over the whole sleeping thing."

Sage interrupted, "You don't have to apologize, Mission."

"But I do…I mean…you and Carth…if it weren't for you guys…" Her face saddened at the thought of what would have been. "It's just…I was upset and I shouldn't have acted like that."

Sage shook her head, "It's completely understandable. Don't worry about it. Besides, I don't blame you. Those nightmares are pretty scary."

Mission gave her a sheepish look, "I don't think anything could scare you."

Sage smiled faintly in return, "You'd be surprised."

Mission fidgeted with a seam on her tunic and then asked, "Have you thought about where you're going to go now?"

Sage twisted her mouth in thought, "Well, it doesn't look like I have many options. The Jedi want me to stay here to train. But I'm not sure that's what I want."

"What would you do if you didn't stay?" the girl asked.

Sage paused a moment and said, "I suppose I could go back to smuggling, but…" Truthfully, the thought of going back to her previous occupation didn't sound the least bit tempting. Furthermore, she wouldn't know where to start.

Mission thought for a moment before saying a little nervously, "If it's okay, I think I'd like to stay…with you. Coruscant sounds great and all…a lot like Taris, I guess. But I might want to try something different, you know?"

Sage had figured the girl would probably choose to stay near Zaalbar. She'd just lost everything she'd ever known. Sage could definitely sympathize with her. And since she couldn't seem to convince the Wookiee to take a hike…it appeared Mission would stay as well. She gave the girl a reassuring smile, "It's fine with me if you stay. Besides, if you're not here, who will occupy Big Z?"

Mission smiled in relief, watching as Sage found the armor she was looking for and laid it on top of the rest. The girl asked, "So what can I do to help?"

Sage pointed to the hole in the side of her favorite armor.

Mission ran a finger along the opening. Her eyes grew big and she asked, "Whoa! Isn't this the armor you wore against Bendak?" Sage nodded.

The girl examined it further, "I can't believe it cut right through there…and the underlay."

Sage asked, "Do you think you can fix it?"

Mission flipped it over and looked at the hole from the other side. "Sure, I can fix that."

Sage smiled, "There's no rush."

Mission found a fusion welder from the workbench and happily went to work. When Sage started to walk away, the girl looked up and said her, "Um…for what it's worth…I think you'd be an awesome Jedi."

The older woman looked back at her with a faint smile, unsure of how she felt about the admiration she received from the young Twi'lek. Before leaving, she said, "Thanks Mission."

* * *

Zhar Lestin attempted to find solace in the Enclave's meditation chamber. It wasn't the first time in the past year the Jedi Master had questioned the Council's current course of action. Vrook was right. It was hard enough to train a child. How much harder would it be to train an adult…and not just any adult. Marin Sage was a headstrong woman.

He hadn't expected anything different. That was what troubled him. He had started to doubt whether he was up to the challenge. She was so closed off to the idea. How could he possibly get through to her?

He immersed himself in his meditation and transported back to more than a decade before. He remembered an eager Padawan…one who delighted in any kind of challenge, both mental and physical. Her thirst for knowledge was insatiable. He often felt as if he were watching a vornskr when he gave her something knew. She attacked new ideas with a ferocity that left him amazed.

His memories of times past made him more optimistic. He hoped Sage would prove Vrook wrong. After much thought, Zhar felt more confident she would…and he knew what he had to do to get started.

Zhar came out of his meditation and immediately left for the courtyard.

The first person he saw as he approached the _Ebon Hawk_ was the pilot. He had thought a good bit about the captain since the group arrived from Taris. The man had impressed Zhar with his firm resolve.

He bowed while saying, "Greetings, Captain Onasi. A wonderful evening, is it not?"

Carth nodded, "I suppose."

Zhar said, "I understand you will be leaving us shortly. The Jedi are very grateful for what you have done. We regret you must go so soon."

Carth gave him a half smile, but only said, "Did you need something?"

Zhar had sensed the other man's distrust the day of his debriefing. He hadn't expected anything different now. "I had hoped to get a chance to speak with Sage."

Carth turned to walk on the ship, "I'll let her know."

The Master waited a few moments before Sage stepped off of the boarding ramp, with the pilot not far behind.

Carth stood off to the side as Sage approached the Jedi. The Master couldn't help but notice the protective nature in the pilot's stance. Sage waited for Zhar to speak.

He began, "I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me…perhaps a tour of the Academy?"

Sage looked at him thoughtfully before saying, "No…not today."

Zhar had expected as much, but continued, "Maybe tomorrow, then."

Sage nodded slowly, "Sure."

The Master bowed to her with a smile and said, "Until tomorrow."

He turned to leave and then braved to ask, "Is there any chance you might meet with the Council tomorrow?"

Sage held no expression, "Not likely."

Zhar knew she needed time. He thought back to Revan and Malak. Of the two, Malak would be the one to jump in without thought. Revan, on the other hand, took time to weigh her options. However, once she set her mind to something…there was no stopping her.

* * *

The next day, Zhar was sure to be at the _Ebon Hawk_ to once again extend his offer. To his relief, Sage accepted.

He took her to the sub-levels of the enclave. There, she was able to see where the real training of a Jedi took place. He watched for any reaction she might have to the various rooms she saw. He had hoped to see a flare of interest in the archives, and was surprised when there was none.

They had already seen most of the premises and she was still uninterested. She finally looked at him and said, "You know what I want to know?"

"What's that?" he asked.

"Where do you people eat?"

He chuckled, "That's an excellent question. In fact, I think lunch would be a very good thing right now."

He took her to the dining hall. There were many Jedi at the various tables around the room. Sage seemed quite interested in observing the others while she ate.

Master Zhar began to wonder if his thoughts were wrong. He certainly hadn't tried to push her into becoming a Jedi. However, he did offer as much information he could regarding the training. She still seemed indifferent.

After lunch, he showed her the apparatus training room. As soon as she stepped into the room, her eyes lit up with the spark he had searched for all day. He smiled as she looked about the large room. It had high ceilings with hollows cut out in various places along the walls. He explained to her that many Jedi practiced scaling the walls, ceilings, and hanging ledges for their missions. The room spoke for itself…and she listened.

Her eyes searched the many possibilities. She watched as another Jedi used the Force to reach a set of bars attached to the ceiling. He then maneuvered through other obstacles to make his way to the opposite corner. She watched his progress and Zhar could sense her disappointment in one particular move the Jedi made. The Master had seen it before and knew she fought her instinct to tell the other man what he had done wrong.

At the end of the tour, he escorted her to the quarters assigned to her two days before. There wasn't much more than a bed, chair, closet, and fresher. But she seemed to consider it, if only for a moment.

* * *

Master Zhar left her to think over her decision. Overall, the tour was a nice break. Zhar didn't push her, but occasionally pointed out the various advantages to training with the Jedi. None were lost on Sage. If she were to choose a training facility, the Academy held all the features she would look for…minus the Jedi.

Sage felt she wasn't ready to make her decision. There was still the matter of the bond with Bastila. The two women had yet to speak to one another about it. However, Sage decided to put that off until the next day. Something much more pressing was at hand…Carth was leaving in the morning.

Her visit to the dining area had given her an idea and she set out to make the necessary preparations.

_

* * *

Flashback – Jedi Temple on Coruscant_

_The lights were dimmed in the dining hall after the last evening meal had been served. One of the preparers worked in the kitchen to set up for breakfast. She looked up from a datapad when the door slid open and a young Padawan stepped through._

_She smiled, "Young Malak, what brings you by here so late at night?"_

_He bowed in respect, "Good evening, Ghur'lamou."_

_He looked around nervously to be certain nobody else was around. She chuckled, "Don't worry, lad…everyone's gone home."_

_He was relieved and said, "Do you think I could get something to take with me?"_

_She smiled, "Hmm…let me guess…that girl has gone and got herself in trouble again, hasn't she?"_

_He nodded sheepishly._

"_Cleaning the fountain again?" she asked._

_He continued to nod, but with a slight smirk._

_Ghur'lamou went to a cabinet and pulled out a plate, "How many times is it now?"_

_Malak stopped to think, "I think it's nine."_

_She gasped for dramatic effect that made him snicker, "Nine! My my…if she doesn't watch, she'll catch up to her years soon."_

_She placed some sweet-sand cookies on the plate and made some hot chocolate. She had worked with the Jedi for years. She had seen many young ones come through, but few were as much fun to watch as young Revan. She was a feisty little one and Ghur'lamou thought the Jedi could use more like the young girl._

"_What was it this time? A speeder again?" she asked._

_The boy shook his head, but could hardly contain his laughter. He leaned in close and whispered, "An ysalamir in the Council chambers."_

_Ghur'lamou tried to suppress her amusement, "How did she ever get it in there?"_

_Malak's expression sobered when he said, "It wasn't easy."_

* * *

The dining area was sparsely populated before the evening meal. The staff was in the kitchen making all the necessary preparations. An older woman in her sixties was among them. She had worked for the Jedi on Coruscant for many years. As she got older, the city planet became much more populated…and much harder for her to navigate. Thus she requested a transfer to a quieter place…Dantooine.

The woman was finishing up the programming of the serving droids when she heard a voice, "Excuse me?"

She turned to look at the source of the interruption and nearly dropped her datapad at the sight. She shouldn't have been surprised. The Masters took the necessary precautions and had informed her of the arrival of their new guest. She had been given strict instructions not to fraternize with the woman, but she couldn't simply ignore her.

Instead, she looked in wonderment at the woman the young girl had become. She couldn't describe it as anything other than pride that filled her heart.

She struggled to find her voice, "Y-yes, dear. How can I help you?"

Sage asked, "Would it be possible for me to take two meals to go?"

The older woman smiled, "Yes, of course. How does nerf stew sound?"

Sage smiled, "That sounds fine, thank you."

The woman went about preparing two meals for the younger woman to take with her. She looked up from her work, "You must be the new trainee I've been hearing about."

Sage cocked an eyebrow, "I wouldn't call it that just yet."

The woman handed the container to Sage, "You can give this to one of the protocol droids to return here if you'd like."

Sage accepted it, "Thanks."

She turned to leave when the woman said, "Wait." She smiled nervously, "I forgot to add dessert…it will only be a moment."

Sage nodded.

The woman went to a storage room and came out with a small container. She handed it to Sage and said, "Let me know if there's anything else you need…" she paused, not knowing what to call her.

Sage smiled and maneuvered everything so she could hold out her hand, "Sage…and you are?"

The woman shook her hand, almost afraid to answer, "Ghur'lamou."

Sage headed for the door, "Thanks again, Ghur'lamou."

The older woman stared after her, unseen tears welling in her eyes.

* * *

Carth was in the men's quarters when Sage appeared at the door with her hands behind her back. He finished placing some items in his footlocker and then faced her.

"When do you leave?" she asked quietly.

"First thing in the morning," he answered.

"Oh," she said simply. She then seemed to remember what she was holding. "I almost forgot to give this to you." She held out her open palm to present a well-crafted blaster.

Carth looked at it curiously, "Where did that come from?"

She smiled, "I won it in a duel."

His mouth formed a tight line and he cocked an eyebrow, "A duel? Or a death-match?"

She rolled her eyes, "Does it matter? I have no use for it, so it's yours."

He eyed the blaster, "It looks like it's very good quality. You could probably get quite a few credits for it."

She walked over and grabbed his hand and placed the blaster firmly in his palm, "I don't want to sell it…I want to give it to you…maybe something you can remember me by."

He gave her a wry smile, "You mean as the woman who killed a man for it."

She smiled, "Just think of the stories you'll have."

He chuckled, "You've definitely given me plenty of those."

There was an awkward silence as he turned the blaster over in his hand a few times. It had a good feel to it…and admittedly would accompany his own blaster well. He looked up at her, "Thanks."

She watched him place it in his footlocker and said, "Ok, let's go."

He questioned, "Go? Go where?" He wanted an answer, but she was already out the door. He grabbed his jacket and rushed to catch up with her.

She waited for him at the bottom of the loading ramp and handed him a container to carry. He couldn't miss the aroma coming from it, "What's this about?"

She started to walk and motioned for him to follow, "Dinner."

He walked with her into the enclave and she led him to a small room. She set down the container she carried and pulled over a stool. She moved a panel on the ceiling and lifted herself through it.

He asked, "Uh…Sage?"

She reached down a hand for him to hand her the containers. He reluctantly did so and followed her through the opening.

He found himself on the roof of the enclave. He took a look around and was slightly pleased to see something else existed on Dantooine other than the walls of the Academy. The sun was not far from setting and provided a golden hue over the landscape.

She stood next to him, "Not bad, is it?"

He shook his head, "No, not at all. Quite nice, actually."

He decided it had been too long since he'd seen such a pleasant sight. He looked at her, "Is this where you were the other night?"

Her mouth twitched slightly, "Yeah."

He looked back at the landscape and added, "I hope I have a better time getting down than you did."

She laughed and then asked, "Are you hungry?"

He thought for a moment, "Yes…I am."

They found a spot facing the sun that offered the fullest view. Sage started to unpack the containers as Carth looked curiously to see what they were having.

"It smells good," he said as he sat down next to her.

She handed him his portion, "Nerf stew." She set out a few more things, "We also have treebread and…space carrots." She said the last part with a look of distaste.

He shook his head, "I don't know why you don't like those."

"Maybe if I knew exactly what they were…" she said.

"Wait…you mean you've never tried them?" he asked.

She looked at the offensive foodstuff out of the corner of her eye, "No."

"Then how do you know you don't like them?" he asked.

She looked away stubbornly.

He laughed and scooped some up with a fork and held it out to her, "Here, try it."

She shook her head no.

He gasped, "I didn't think it was possible."

She gave him a questioning look, "What?"

"That you would be afraid of something," he said tauntingly.

She huffed, "I'm not afraid…I just don't see the point."

He ate it himself, "Mmn…you don't know what you're missing."

"No, I don't know…and neither do you, for that matter. What is that stuff?"

He chuckled some more as they continued to eat their meal together. Every time he ate the space carrots, he did so with exuberance for her benefit. He finally said, "Well, at least it's nice to know you have fears just like the rest of us…granted it's of food, but it's a start."

She furrowed her brow, "Why doesn't anybody think I have fears?"

"Who else doesn't think so?" he asked.

"Mission."

He chuckled, "Maybe because Mission and I both watched you walk into a rancor den with nothing but a grenade and a stealth belt."

"Oh no…see, I had more than that…I had a plan," she said with a smile.

He smiled back, "Whatever you say."

She was quiet for a moment before saying, "I'm not afraid of food."

He speared a few more space carrots and held them up for her, "Prove it."

She met his challenging gaze. Her eyes never left his as she leaned over and delicately accepted the food into her mouth. He swallowed hard as he found himself enjoying the exchange a little more than he had anticipated.

He watched her as she contemplated whether she liked it or not. When she was finished, he asked, "Well?"

Her lips twisted to hold back her smile and she…_blushed?_ He couldn't believe it. His grin grew, "I knew you'd like them!" She laughed.

They finished up their dinner and Sage pulled out the other container Ghur'lamou had given to her. She opened it up to reveal cookies.

Carth smiled, "Are those sweet-sand cookies?"

She shrugged as she bit into one, "Mmn." She eyed the cookie with interest, "These are good."

He took one for himself, "I haven't had these in years."

Sage pulled out a bottle of Derellium Wine. Carth almost choked on his cookie. He swallowed it down before asking, "What else did you bring?"

She poured two glasses for them, "This is it. Of course, there's plenty of Tarisian Ale on the ship if you're up for it."

"Oh no…that stuff is poison. I'd never make the jump into hyperspace after a night of that," he said.

His last statement hung in the air as they sipped their wine. The silence was the first they'd had all evening. The thought reminded him of how much he enjoyed her company.

They watched the sun set over the distant hills. Their time together was coming to an end and he felt a need to say something…anything. However, she spoke first.

"What will you do now?" she asked.

He said, "I'll return to the fleet and await my new orders. With any luck, they'll put me as close to Saul as possible."

He couldn't read her expression…and was somewhat glad for it. He asked, "What about you?"

She sighed as she leaned back on her hands, "I still have a lot of questions…some I doubt they'll answer. The offer is intriguing and I'm not sure what else I would do." She scoffed, and before taking another sip, said, "Besides, it's like they're holding me hostage until I make a decision. I think the only way I'm going to get out of here is if I pack up secretly at night and take off."

She chuckled, "Of course, the all-knowing Jedi probably figured I've thought of that and have already stolen the hyperdrive."

He laughed.

It was getting dark and the view of the stars was amazing. Carth noticed a shiver run through her. He glanced at the jacket that sat next to him. He weighed his options of either lending her the jacket or warming her himself. He was reluctant to place the jacket on her shoulders…the item held so many memories of its own. However, the alternative…_No, no…definitely the jacket_.

He draped it over her. She smiled in gratitude and snuggled into the warmth it provided.

He wanted to tell her how much he appreciated everything, but didn't know where to start. They had been through so much in such a short amount of time. "You know…there have been plenty of times I can recall fighting for my life. But I must admit I don't think it was ever as fun as it was on Taris."

She laughed, "That was fun you were having? I'd hate to see you stressed out!"

He laughed with her, "Ok, maybe it wasn't fun…but it was interesting. You definitely have your own way of doing things."

They enjoyed each other's company for a short while longer. Eventually, Carth felt he had run out of things to say. All he could think of bordered on what he wanted to know, but had no right to ask.

He said, "It's getting late. Are you ready?"

She held an expression that said 'No,' but she answered, "Sure."

* * *

They climbed down from their place on the roof via the tree. He was sure to help her down to avoid another fall. Sage had decided to accept the quarters offered by the Jedi and so they now stood at a point where they were to go their separate ways. She had agreed to meet with Bastila first thing in the morning. Therefore, she wouldn't be seeing him off.

She handed him his jacket. They stood merely centimeters apart. He took one last look at her, though he knew he'd never forget her. He reached a hand up to brush a strand of hair aside…something he had never dared to do while she was awake. She said nothing as she looked up at him with green eyes that seemed to mesmerize him every time.

His gaze wandered to her lips and he knew he'd regret it forever if he didn't. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. _So soft_, he thought as he kissed her again. The feeling of her lips upon his sent tendrils of sensation to every nerve in his body. He wanted more, and before he realized it, he deepened the kiss. She returned it with equal fervor as one of his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him.

His other hand glided through her hair and he quickly lost all sense of himself as he became aware of her small frame pressed up against his. Her hands rested on his chest and slowly started to move on a discovering journey of their own.

It was only the need for oxygen that tore them apart. They stood breathless, both hearts beating in rhythm.

The brief moment was enough to make him realize who he was and where he was at. He leaned his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He still held her firmly in his arms. She tightened her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

He stroked her hair and placed a kiss upon her temple. After a moment, they relaxed their hold. He took a deep breath and said, "Take care of yourself…be careful."

She smiled faintly, "I will…and you do the same."

Both took a step away from each other. He said in a low voice, "Goodbye, Sage."

She looked at him a moment longer before saying, "Goodbye."

She slowly turned and walked away. Carth waited until he couldn't see her any longer before returning to the ship.

* * *

The next morning, Carth watched as his transport landed. The cargo bay doors opened and two soldiers and a few droids started to unload its contents. Carth waited for his footlocker to be collected before he headed to the boarding ramp when it descended. He was watching the journey of his belongings when a human man with light brown hair rushed past him and ran into his left shoulder, knocking him to the side. The distracted man stopped briefly, "My apologies, Sir," before he turned to walk briskly toward the enclave. Carth straightened his jacket and sneered at the retreating man. He mumbled to himself, "Damn Jedi."

Once aboard the vessel, he found his quarters with relative ease. He was in a room with five bunks, but only two others looked occupied. He picked a bunk furthest from the other two and secured his belongings in a footlocker. Shortly after, the liftoff alarm sounded. Carth found an acceleration chair to strap into.

The craft lifted gracefully into the air and left the planet's atmosphere. The hyperspace alert sounded and Carth leaned his head back and closed his eyes, waiting for the rush of the jump. He felt a heavy feeling in his heart as he thought, not for the first time, about the sensational kiss he had shared the night before. He was certain his lips still tingled from the contact. _Goodbye, Beautiful._

* * *


	24. Prerequisites

Disclaimer: The people and places (except for my OC's) belong to either Lucas, Bioware, or Obsidian. I just tell stories for free.

* * *

**Story Break**

**_Will of the Force_ now has a prequel, _Friendly Ties_. The other story explains things about Sage's past better. This is the point inWotF where I would recommend interested readers to stop and read the other. However, I do intend on writing WotF so that reading the other is not required. (/shameless plug)**

* * *

It was mid-morning at the Jedi Academy on Dantooine. Bastila had found a training room and chose to use it for her meditation. There was nothing special about the room - it was like all the others. The walls were lined with chairs and a rectangular mat sat in the middle. Light filtered in from small windows high upon the wall opposite the door. The Enclave's main docking bay was barely visible through the windows. It was the rather private location of the room that Bastila found to be most important. It was off to the side in a far corner of the Academy's sublevel. That area had little activity in the morning and would provide the best environment for her talk with Sage. 

Though the meeting was inevitable, Bastila was less than eager about actually having it. She was fairly certain Sage felt the same way. The other woman hadn't spoken to her since the _Ebon Hawk_ landed on Dantooine. Bastila had made several attempts, but Sage had been unwilling. The Jedi had been both relieved and uneasy when Sage finally agreed. Bastila knew the older woman would have questions, and she only hoped she had the answers.

The door to the room slid open and Sage stepped through. Bastila didn't move from her meditative position in the center of the mat. She motioned to the floor in front of her and offered Sage a seat. She said, "I thought maybe we could meditate together."

Sage furrowed her brow and winced. "Meditate?" She said the word as if it caused a bad taste in her mouth. She stayed where she was just inside the doorway, seemingly unsure whether she would stay.

Bastila said, "It's an excellent way to center yourself and most of the time allows you to see things more clearly."

Sage scoffed, "So your idea of talking is not talking?"

Bastila defended, "I believe it will better prepare us for the discussion ahead."

Sage pressed the door control to shut the door and walked to a chair along the left wall. As she sat down, she said, "Yeah. Well….let me know when you're done."

Bastila sighed in exasperation. She decided to go ahead without Sage. She closed her eyes and began to clear her mind. She called upon the Force to push away her busy thoughts. She searched for the calmness that always followed such release. Just when she was certain she had found it and was about to immerse herself in the peace it provided, she heard Sage clear her throat. Bastila felt a slight pull away from her calm as her attention tried to direct her to the sound.

In order to focus, she pushed away from the distraction and the flare of agitation it caused. Once again, she found herself at the precipice of lucidity. She was pleased that she'd been able to find it so easily again. Her pleasure was short lived when she heard the sound of a chair being dragged across a floor. She bit her lip when she inadvertently opened an eye to see what it was.

Sage had pulled one of the chairs in front of hers so she could rest her feet upon it while leaning back in the other. Bastila regarded her for a brief moment and Sage looked at her with little expression. When Bastila closed her eyes again, she could still feel the other woman's eyes upon her.

The Jedi thought about changing her position so she didn't face Sage, but decided it to be rather foolish. It was that thought that made her realize how far out of her meditation she had become. Her agitation flared again and she doubled her efforts to regain her calm. It wasn't nearly as easy to find anymore and the fact that Sage's eyes still bore into her remained at the forefront of her thoughts.

When Sage started drumming her hands on the side of her chair, Bastila jumped up from her position and thrust her fists to her sides. "Oh for the Force's sake, fine!"

Sage held an innocent expression. It only made Bastila growl, "You can be the most impossible woman."

Sage laughed sardonically, "And you're a breath of fresh air."

Bastila scoffed, "I beg your pardon?"

Sage rolled her eyes and shook her head. "See, this is why I don't like talking to you."

The younger woman was quiet. She had to admit that Sage really didn't ever talk to her. Even on Taris, the other woman had avoided her at all costs. Bastila finally asked, "Then why did you agree to it today?"

Sage huffed as if it were obvious, "The _bond_."

Bastila sighed and relaxed slightly. _Once again, straight to the point_.

Sage used her foot to push the chair it was resting on away from her and offered it to Bastila. The Jedi frowned slightly, but accepted the seat.

Sage crossed her arms over her chest. "First of all, I want to talk about that dream."

Bastila shook her head and corrected, "It was less of a dream and more of a vision…a vision the two of us shared. But I am certainly willing to answer any questions the Jedi Council did not."

"And why, exactly, did we _share_ this 'vision'?"

Bastila tried to think of the best answer. "Are you wondering why we shared the vision or why we even received it in the first place?" She continued without waiting for the answer. "To the first I can only repeat the answer that the Council gave us. Our fates are linked, and for two as strong as we are in the Force that amounts to a near-physical bond." She ignored the skeptical expression on the other woman's face. "As to the second, I don't truly have an answer for you. The Force works as it will, and perhaps we should be grateful for what we have been given."

Sage shook her head as if that weren't the answer she was searching for. "But how did our fates become linked?"

There was the question Bastila had dreaded and her heart beat a little faster. She had thought of a hundred answers and a hundred reasons not to use each one. She still was left with nothing. "I…I don't know." She quickly added, "Believe me, I certainly don't find the prospect of being joined to you enjoyable in any fashion."

Sage's lips formed a tight line. "The feeling is mutual."

There was no pretending that the two women had any sort of desire to be bound together. Truthfully, it was just as well for Bastila. "Then perhaps the sooner we see to our destiny the sooner that we can proceed on our separate paths. That seems the logical solution, no?"

Sage chuckled. "Nice try."

Bastila had known this conversation wouldn't be easy. It was too much. Here she was trying to explain something she couldn't explain, and at the same time, trying to convince Sage to begin her training with the Jedi. She didn't appear to be succeeding in either case.

Sage tilted her head to the side in thought. "I'm not sure I like the idea of you being in my dreams."

Since their first meeting on Taris, Bastila wasn't sure she liked the idea of being in Sage's dreams either. However, she felt a need to change Sage's train of thought. "And are you so certain that it is not you in my dreams?"

Sage looked at her thoughtfully before answering, "Pretty certain, yes."

_So confident_. Bastila sighed, "I see. That is most likely vanity speaking, for I am not certain, myself. Regardless, our fates are linked…the vision was no doubt meant for us both."

Sage shook her head in a way that said she wasn't convinced. She asked, "Why did we dream of Malak and Revan?"

Bastila had actually thought of an answer for that one. "Perhaps because we desired to. Perhaps because they came to this planet and were strong enough in the Force to leave a…a trace."

Sage looked doubtful. "Isn't it a bit convenient to dream about our enemies?"

Bastila answered proudly, "And what else should we dream about except that which is most important to our fate?"

Sage mumbled as she stood up, "I can think of a few things."

Bastila ignored her and continued, "We dreamed about Revan and Malak either because we were meant to or because we needed to. There is no other way to look at it." Truthfully, Bastila had wondered why the dream occurred when it did. It had been quite frightening and disconcerting when it happened. One could only wonder what other events may become unleashed when triggered. She knew nothing of Revan's life before her capture except for hearsay. She knew nothing of the woman's travels. There was no way to guard against a revelation here or there. Bastila only hoped there would be plenty of time to prepare for such happenings.

Sage began to walk around the room. "What do you think Malak and Revan were doing?"

Bastila had wondered the same thing. "I have no idea. It was obviously important, however. That is why we must investigate this further." She turned in her seat to watch Sage slowly circle the room.

Sage asked, "Do you think we will receive more of these visions?"

Bastila answered honestly, "With luck we will."

Sage arched an eyebrow.

Bastila watched her a little longer. She really wanted to get off the subject of the dream, but had been pleased with the results of that discussion so far. The conversation of the other matter, however, wasn't going to begin itself. "We really should return our thoughts to business," she said.

Sage stopped with her back to the Jedi. She didn't respond and Bastila wondered if Sage was even willing to discuss her proposed training yet.

"I don't know why you are so resistant to this. In fact, it's my belief you are only doing so just to be difficult."

Sage chuckled lightly.

Bastila pressed on, "You may not acknowledge our bond, but I do. I can sense your need to do something for the galaxy – to prevent events such as the bombing of Taris from occurring again."

Sage whirled around to face her. "Let me tell you something, Bastila. No matter how much you twist things around in that mind of yours, know this…you do not know me."

It was the truth in a way. Bastila closed her eyes. She really could have used that meditation for this.

Sage continued, "You should have at least discussed it with me before going to the Council. You had no right."

Bastila started, "Do you not see the value in what the Coun—"

Sage interrupted, "Bastila, I didn't come here to talk about the Council. I came here to talk about you and me."

Bastila sighed. She had hoped _that_ conversation was over. Sage started moving about the room again. The sound of repulsor engines emanated from the docking bay outside the high windows. Their attention was diverted to the brief sight of the incoming transport intended for Carth. Bastila had seen the pilot early that morning to thank him for everything he had done. Frankly, if it hadn't been for Carth, neither of them would be alive at the moment.

She glanced at Sage to discern her reaction. Bastila had hoped it would have distracted Sage away from their conversation. However, like a skilled Jedi, Sage was able to keep her interest on the transport, while she continued, "It just seems a little…convenient."

_Damn split-level concentration_. Bastila still marveled at how much power Sage unknowingly wielded. As for convenience, Bastila had to agree that it would look like that to Sage. After all, from Sage's perspective, one day the Council offered her training – the next day she was _bound_ by the Force to accept it. Bastila could only offer the explanation that she herself had to believe was true. "The Force often seems to cause events that bend the laws of probability, especially with those that are strongly affiliated with it. In this respect, you and I will simply have to become accustomed to such 'convenience.' We are the tools of the Force and we will do as it wills."

Sage rolled her eyes. She snorted, "I suppose that would be a lot easier to accept if you weren't such a bitch."

Her tone was that of a matter of fact rather than a jibe. Nonetheless, Bastila took offense, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest.

Sage seemed amused by her reaction and started laughing. She walked closer to Bastila and stopped in front of her. She said, doubtfully, "Wait a minute… You must know this. How could you be that much of a bitch and not know it?"

Bastila's eyes grew wide in disbelief that Sage was saying such things. It only made Sage smile more. The older woman said in a placating manner, "Look, I'm not saying that's a bad thing…at least, not to me. And if you want to act like that towards other people, I'm not stopping you. In fact, sometimes I get quite a kick out of it. I mean, when you told Canderous you've seen gizka with bigger dicks than his, I thought I was going to pee my pants."

Bastila softened her expression a little. It wasn't really a nice thing to say to the Mandalorian, but he had deserved it. She was certain he'd left the door to the fresher unlocked on purpose. And when he taunted her afterwards with the suggestion she had liked what she saw, she'd had no choice but to put him in his place.

Sage continued with a pointed look, "But I won't have you being that way towards me. Not if we're going to work together."

_Did she just say…?_ For the first time that morning, Bastila felt the slightest shred of hope. "Are you telling me you've decided to join the Jedi?"

Sage's lips formed a tight line and she furrowed her brow. "I'm saying if I do, that's going to be one of my conditions."

Bastila couldn't help the slight smile that formed on her face. Sage added, "And you don't have to go running off to report this to the Council either. If you want my trust, you can start earning it now."

Bastila nodded in agreement. "Very well."

The repulsors could be heard once again and the vessel outside lifted from the ground. Sage took a seat near Bastila and the two women sat in silence, each in their own contemplation. Bastila was pleased to know Sage was so close to accepting the Council's offer. There was the slightest twinge of defeat as she felt she would have to give up some leverage in order for Sage to agree. However, it was in the best interests of the mission and Bastila would have to accept that.

The vessel had departed the atmosphere. Bastila glanced at Sage, who had a thoughtful expression on her face. She felt the faintest whisper across their bond, followed by a slight feeling of loss that slipped through the older woman's shielding. It was gone as quickly as it had come and Sage stood to leave.

As Bastila watched Sage depart, she couldn't help but think Carth's departure was a necessary occurrence. Whatever may or may not have developed between he and Sage had no place in the current task…or any task of a Jedi.

* * *

After meeting with Bastila, Sage made her way out to where the _Ebon Hawk_ was docked. Once there, she spoke with Lur Arka Sulas for a short time. He had been looking for a young girl by the name of Sasha for quite some time. The young girl had apparently been kidnapped by Mandalorian raiders several years ago. 

Dantooine was not a very populated place, so Sage couldn't imagine the girl would still be on planet without anyone seeing her. Lur Arka didn't have many resources at his disposal. The only way he had to look for the girl was by speaking with off-worlders to see if they could keep an eye out for her. It was a big galaxy and the Mandalorians knew lots of hiding places, therefore Sage wasn't very optimistic.

"Do you really think she's still alive?" she asked.

The Twi'lek man replied, "Mandalorians are not known for killing their prisoners. It is my hope that she either escaped or was sold into slavery."

Sage narrowed her eyes. "You actually hope she was sold into _slavery_?"

He nodded. "If she was, there may be records of where she is now."

Sage was unsure of that logic. "Have the Jedi been able to provide any assistance?"

"The Jedi are far too busy with their own affairs to get involved in such a small venture," he explained.

"So the Jedi use this planet for training purposes, but do not help its inhabitants?"

"War is a terrible thing," was his only reply.

"Are the raiders much of a problem?" she asked.

"Quite. They have destroyed many farms. Most residents fear for their safety. Don't worry. They are unable to breach this compound. You are quite safe here."

_How nice for me_. Sage left the man to his daily rounds. _The Jedi endanger these people by being here and won't help them?_ She'd had a chance to speak with a few of the Jedi who ventured out of the Enclave. None of them were very talkative. Most only discussed their fear that Malak would soon come for them. Sage remembered Taris and knew there would be little left once Malak came for the Jedi. She shook her head. _These people don't have a chance._

* * *

Zhar Lester stood alone in the Council chambers. There had been much speculation as to the identity of one of the passengers on the incoming transport. It wasn't unusual for Jedi to travel from Coruscant to Dantooine. However, having coincided with the arrival of the _Ebon Hawk_, Zhar could only wonder if it was who he thought it was. 

His suspicions were confirmed when the door to the chambers opened and the Order's newest Master stepped through. Although the younger man had never taken on a Padawan, the trials he'd faced in the last two years were enough to convince the Council of his rightful rank. However, when given the news of his new status, he had refused it, stating his trials were not yet complete. Zhar had hoped that wasn't the case.

The two men stared at one another. Zhar didn't know why the younger man would put himself through this. The least his actions could do would bring events of the past to light. Few knew of the Knight's prior relationship with Revan. Attachments within the Order were forbidden. When Vandar had discovered the affair, the damage had already been done. The entire ordeal had been a testimony to why the rule was necessary in the first place. Unfortunately, the one standing before him had suffered the most.

Zhar started, "You shouldn't be here."

The Knight ignored him. "Where is she?"

Zhar shook his head. "Maybe you should medit-"

He interrupted, "I've had plenty of time to do that. If you won't tell me, I'll go find her myself."

Zhar sighed, "Come with me."

The Jedi Master led the Knight to the upper levels of the Enclave. They entered a lounge area furnished with modest seating and a few small tables. The wall opposite the door was lined with windows that overlooked the docking bay of the _Ebon Hawk_. Zhar walked to the window and motioned in the direction of Sage sitting on a bench talking to a Twi'lek man.

The Knight walked slowly to the window and held no expression as he gazed upon the woman. Zhar noted that the other man's shields were firmly in place. The Knight was too well trained for it to be otherwise.

A few moments passed and the younger man let out the breath he'd been holding. He watched her a while longer before saying, "She looks so normal."

Zhar nodded in agreement. The woman indeed looked quite a bit different from when they had started this mission. However, she looked the same as she had when she originally left the Order, only eight years older.

They both watched her finish up her conversation with the Twi'lek man and board the _Ebon Hawk_. The Knight still stared out the window.

Zhar closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to get through to the younger man. At last he opened his eyes and turned to face the Knight. "You can't stay here."

The other man chuckled. "I'm not leaving."

"What is it you hope to accomplish by being here? She's already having dreams of her past. None of us can know what may be unveiled at the sight of you."

The Knight turned slowly to face Zhar. "What do you mean she's having dreams?"

Zhar's mouth formed a tight line. This was a matter for the Council only. But he knew he had to say something. "It appears she has formed a Force bond with Bastila. Because of that bond, Bastila has experienced a few glimpses of Sage's memories through her dreams."

The Knight flinched at the sound of the woman's new name. "What did you tell her?"

Zhar looked away. "We told her they were Force visions. We've invited her to train as a Jedi."

The younger man shook his head in disbelief. "You're just going in deeper and deeper, aren't you?"

"What choice do we have? The memories she's had may hold the key to what we've been searching for," Zhar shot back.

The Knight shook his head. "The wrong choice was made in the first place. Therefore, your options are limited. There is no way I'm leaving her. I will make sure that she is treated with the respect she deserves as a sentient being."

Zhar scoffed, "I can see how _you_ would think we made the wrong decision." The Master turned to leave. He stopped at the doorway and turned to ask one last question. "Your argument to keep her memories intact may have held merit. However, I can't help but wonder if you were afraid that either we'd fail…or that she would forget you."

The younger man did not respond to the insinuation and stated firmly, "I am not leaving."

Zhar knew he couldn't force the man. "Then let it be known that you will have no contact with her, Jek-Tal."

Before Zhar turned to leave, the other Jedi asked, "Has she agreed to train?"

Zhar paused before answering. "No."

The Master departed and left the other man to his thoughts. He stood at the window for quite some time looking at nothing in particular. He knew he shouldn't be on Dantooine. But given the circumstances, he knew she needed an ally. He would sit back, watch, and keep abreast of everything going on. He wasn't going to let them hurt her any more than they already had. Sadness washed over him at the thought of the pain she had endured over the past year…both emotional and physical. Many thought she deserved it. Foolish or not, he couldn't bring himself to believe she did.

Motion from the docking bay below drew his attention. She walked off the _Ebon Hawk_, followed by a rather large man. The Knight blinked in shocked amusement. _A Mandalorian?_ He couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

* * *

Canderous was on board the _Ebon Hawk_. They had been on Dantooine for a week and he'd had little to do. Now that Onasi was gone, he didn't even have anyone to antagonize. The young Twi'lek did nothing but roll in the grass outside and the Wookiee had been casing the ship since they landed. Of course, it didn't matter to him what the Wookiee did because he couldn't understand a word that creature said anyway. 

All in all, Canderous was growing restless. Just like a woman, Sage had been unable to make up her mind whether she wanted to stay on this back-water planet. Sure Taris was nothing great, but at least there were things to do. Davik had always had a job for him and he'd kept quite busy shaking down the rougher gang members that got in his way. However, Dantooine had nothing of the sort.

He'd heard of some Mandalorian raiders that dotted the countryside, but nobody in the _Ebon Hawk_ party had been granted permission to leave the Enclave. If so, he'd be sure to find those raiders and strike them down for the cowards they were. He was quite sure anyone doing such a thing on this planet had probably fled the final battle of the war. A warrior that had survived the battle usually found work worthy of their skills. Mercenary work wasn't the greatest, but it allowed him a few good fights here and there. There was no honor in raiding the farm of an unarmed man.

He was kicked back in the garage with his feet propped up on the workbench when Sage walked in. He grunted his greeting as she pulled up a seat of her own and made herself comfortable.

They were quiet for a few moments before she said, "Getting restless?"

"You can say that," he replied. He studied her a moment before saying, "Can't imagine you're not."

She shrugged. "Yeah…well." She leaned back and propped her feet on the workbench next to his.

He wondered if she had finally made a choice. Truthfully, he wanted to leave. If she was going to stay, he would find the next ride out. The last opportunity had been the Republic transport and he sure as hell wasn't going to Coruscant. However, if she was leaving, he'd just as soon go with her.

She said, "I'm thinking about sticking around here for a while."

He grunted as he contemplated her decision. He knew the Jedi to be great warriors and understood her desire to train with them. "How long will it take for the training?"

She shrugged, "It's hard to say. I can't imagine they want Malak running around out there for too much longer."

That got his attention. He lowered his feet from the workbench and leaned towards her with a questioning look. "So you would really be going after Malak?"

"I guess so."

He leaned back again. _Malak, huh?_ He scratched his beard as he thought, _Now there's a fight I wouldn't miss for anything_. Since the war, he hadn't met anyone he thought could beat the Jedi Malak. But he knew Sage had done some fairly crazy stuff. He was curious whether she would be able to defeat the former Jedi. It was certainly something worth sticking around for.

He made his decision quickly. "It would honor me if you would let me accompany you on your journey."

Sage looked at him thoughtfully. She then smiled and said, "It would honor me for you to be by my side."

They sat together in silence for a while longer, each in their own thoughts. She finally said, "What will you do in the meantime?"

He simply said, "Prepare for the battle."

Sage realized for once that perhaps she had a true comrade. And it felt nice. No matter how much time she had spent with Carth, there was always that underlying suspicion that remained. However, Canderous didn't seem nearly as complicated and she somehow felt she could trust him. She knew him to be a man of his word. He held no allegiance to any side in the war, and frankly, neither did she. Sure Malak needed to be stopped, but she wasn't sure the Jedi had the best intentions either. And the Republic? She shook her head, _a downed freighter_.

She still had reservations about the Jedi, but mostly because of what she had seen on Dantooine. She didn't trust any of the Masters she had met so far. She certainly didn't approve of the way they turned their backs on the people who had provided them with such hospitality for so many years. To be honest, they weren't necessarily the best welcoming party either. Master Vrook had been the worst. He had said point-blank that she was too old to train. She didn't know why she had such a need to prove that man wrong, but it was a strong desire indeed. A smug smile formed on her lips as she thought of the challenge he offered_. I'll show that bastard by being the best damn Jedi he's seen in a long time. _She paused, _Well…minus the stuffy, stoic, asshole stuff._

* * *

Sage and Canderous walked off the ship. They had decided to check around to see if there was any work Canderous could do while she trained. They had talked about the Mandalorian raiders and Canderous expressed a deep desire to route them out. 

Sage said, "I'll see what I can do about getting you permission to leave the Enclave. It's going to be tough, though, because they don't know you can be trusted either."

He nodded in understanding. However, the implication angered him slightly since the cowards that had fled to Dantooine were the ones giving his people the bad reputation in the first place.

Sage continued, "I don't think you should go alone either. You can take Zaalbar with you and do reconnaissance first. Once you get more information on them, we'll proceed from there."

"You mean the Wookiee?" he asked in disbelief. "I can't understand a word that thing says!" he protested. He looked at her unconvinced expression. "How can he scout? You do realize how tall he is?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you have stealth written all over you. Look, you'd be surprised how much you understand when you don't have any other options. You need backup, it can't be me, and you know the Jedi aren't going to offer any help."

He huffed, "Backup…"

She chuckled slightly. "Have you ever fought a Wookiee?"

"No…their planet was too close to the Core to launch an effective attack," he explained.

"But you are aware that a Wookiee can tear a man's limbs off with his bare hands?"

He sneered at her for implying his ignorance.

Ignoring it, she shook her head and said, "I don't know about you, but that sounds like good backup to me. I'm not talking to the Council about it until you agree to take him."

Canderous grumbled, but agreed nonetheless.

* * *

It was early evening and Master Zhar meditated in the lower level meditation chamber. The events of the past week had brought back many thoughts he had once believed were put away for good. 

Though Kreia was the Master to take the most punishment during the Mandalorian Wars, she wasn't the only one to retain the guilt. It was easy to blame the teacher. Like any child who grows up to do bad things; society is first to say 'it must be the parenting.' Revan had many Masters - in the back of each of their minds was whether her fall was a result of something they did. Why hadn't they seen it coming? In hindsight, as usual, it seemed much simpler. Maybe you had to be one of her Masters to truly understand it.

For Revan, the Force flowed through her so freely. Her power was so immense that one couldn't help but be drawn to it. It all came easily to her. It was a marvel in itself to teach her something and have her learn and master it in no time at all.

Was he to blame? Sure he was. But was he to blame for the rest of them following her? Most certainly not. Just as the Masters who taught her were drawn in by her power; so were many others of the Order. It was natural for them to follow her. Of course, Vrook never understood that. He contributed the loss of a thousand Jedi to impatience.

Vrook was the master of patience. The man was so stubborn he could say 'no' until the end of time to get his point across. Yet, when that patience was tested, he had little tolerance. Revan had always tested Vrook. To him, she was that crumb in your bed that your leg runs over when you're trying to go to sleep and you rip the sheets off in order to get rid of it. Then when you finally settle in again, it returns.

Zhar had hoped that maybe Vrook would finally see Revan for what she was. But as he watched the defiant Sage and listened to her words, he somehow knew there would be little hope for that.

The Jedi Master was interrupted from his musings when he felt a strong presence at the entrance to the chamber. It felt familiar enough to know who it was, yet different enough to remind him of all she had been through. He stood to face the object of his thoughts.

Sage stepped into the room and strolled leisurely through it with an air of indifference. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the tactics she often used to gain the upper hand in any encounter. It was no wonder she was such a successful strategist; she thought of all possibilities before her adversary even realized there was an issue. Her casual manner did not fool him, however. He knew what weighed upon her mind – the intrigue he had sensed in her the previous day would be hard for her to ignore.

"I'm not interrupting am I?" she asked.

"Of course not. What brings you by here this evening?" he asked.

She didn't answer at first as she continued to meander throughout the chamber. When she was within a meter of him, she stopped and faced him. It wasn't that she didn't have patience; it was just directed differently than in others. He briefly wondered how it must have been for someone under her command awaiting a reprimand. The poor souls possibly waited several torturous hours for her punishment. He imagined it was times like these she would demonstrate her power by simply existing. Of course, he had become immune to it – even more so now that he'd had time to think on his mental thesis, 'How to tell if your student would be a good Dark Lord.'

With that thought, he couldn't help but remind himself how easy it would be for her to return to such ranks. But the Council had given it a great deal of thought and it had been agreed that training her was the only course of action. Frankly, they had run out of options. Their numbers were dwindling and had little to offer.

Bastila had been their only saving grace. However, besides the fact Bastila lacked the ability to command, the target upon her had only grown larger in the past year as Malak pursued the young Jedi. The attack on the _Endar Spire_ had only confirmed the fact her days were numbered if they didn't take drastic measures.

Revan had proven capable of turning the tide in a losing battle. The Jedi could only trust in the Force that she could do the same for them now. There was also a great deal of justice in her sentence to end the war that she started. Of course, Jek-Tal had argued that she wouldn't even know she was serving a sentence until it was done. But he never was able to truly see her as a prisoner. Zhar imagined seeing her walk about freely would make it even more difficult for the Knight to understand. The Council didn't particularly want the younger Jedi involved at this point. However, given everything he had done to get them this far, they couldn't deny him either. Unfortunately, Jek-Tal understood that all too well.

"I've been considering your offer," she said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Have you come to a decision?" he asked.

"Yes, I've decided to stay and train," she said simply.

He waited for more, but it didn't come. "And?"

She shrugged. "And what?"

He smiled slightly. "I suppose I expected a condition to your agreement."

She began to walk around again. "Maybe not for myself, but the other passengers on the _Ebon Hawk_."

He knew there to be three others and a droid. He hadn't given any thought to them. He had just assumed they would leave. In fact, he was rather surprised they hadn't left that morning.

She continued, "I understand there is a problem with Mandalorian raiders that the Jedi have been unable to assist with."

He nodded.

"Canderous and Zaalbar would like permission to leave the Enclave in order to investigate the claims a little further."

"You expect the Jedi to release another Mandalorian warrior upon this planet?" he asked.

"I expect the Jedi to use the resources at their disposal to help people in need." She stopped and faced him. "Unless you want him hanging around the Enclave until my training is complete…"

Zhar sighed. "He will only be granted permission with the Wookiee as his escort."

"Agreed," she stated.

"Anything else?"

"Mission will need something to keep her occupied. There's no telling what that girl will get herself into with too much time on her hands."

He had actually thought briefly on the young Twi'lek. At such a young age, he didn't want to see her fall to the ways of many other women of his species. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. We may even be able to find a way for her to make a few credits during her stay."

"And they will all need sleeping quarters," she added.

Zhar squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, and all three would like access to training facilities. I'd like for Canderous to teach Mission some combat techniques."

_Why couldn't we have given her a new personality? An obedient soldier would have been nice._ He sighed. "Very well."

She continued her walk. "I think that covers it."

He stated, "You must understand training as a Jedi is not to be taken lightly. Once committed, it is expected that you see it through to the end."

She turned towards him again. "About that…how long is this going to take anyway?"

He furrowed his brow and frowned. "It takes as long as it takes."

She scoffed at that. "Well then we'd better get started."

He nodded. "We'll start tomorrow"

She gave him a questioning look, "What's wrong with now?"

He was quickly reminded of how insistent she could be. However, he had learned by now not to give in. "Very well." He noted her smile held a hint of triumph. _Not this time_. "Meet me in the training room at 0900."

Her expression shifted to one of confusion. "Wait, you agree to start now, but I don't meet you until tomorrow?"

He smiled serenely, "Indeed. You're first lesson, Apprentice…is patience."

She huffed. "Fine, but you're not really going to call me _Apprentice_, are you?"

"Of course."

She seemed to think on it a moment, "No, that won't do at all."

His expression grew tired as he sighed. "And what would you have me call you?"

"I find myself answering to Sage."

He suddenly wondered if he was up to this challenge. Despite the joy found in training one such as her, he didn't look forward to the aggravation that came along with it.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Alexandra3 and Lossefalme for the wonderful betas. Thanks to everyone for being so patient waiting for this. 


	25. Meanwhile, Back on Coruscant

Disclaimer: The places and people belong to Lucas, Bioware, and/or Obsidian. I just tell stories.

A/N: Thanks so much to Alexandra3 and Lossefalme for the wonderful feedback... and for listening to writer's block rants for the past six months.

* * *

The week long journey from Dantooine to Coruscant was uneventful. In a way, Carth found it rather boring. For the past month prior to his departure, he had spent every day with Sage. He wasn't sure he had ever spent that much time with one person before. Even in the early days of his marriage he'd still spent at least a few hours of the day away from his wife.

His wife… he'd thought a lot about her in the past two weeks. First the destruction of Taris had sent painful memories rushing back to him. And then only a few days after, he'd found himself somewhat morose about leaving the company of another woman. Leaving a traveling companion was one thing. Kissing her goodbye told him she might have become more.

All in all, it was a good thing he had left when he did. Marin Sage was the last thing he needed in his life. All she ever did was make him crazy. Now she was to become a Jedi. He harrumphed at the thought. _Let her torment some of those Masters for a change_. He laughed to himself as he thought she would do exactly that. _Those poor bastards_.

It was mid-morning on Coruscant when the transport arrived. The vessel set down on the northern landing platform of Fleet Headquarters. Carth was thankful for his expedited delivery. He was anxious to move on to his new duties and glad he didn't have to deal with the hassle of the Coruscant transportation system to get him where he needed to go.

His first order of business was a debriefing with Rear Admiral Boleeq. The meeting was standard protocol, especially under the circumstances Carth had been involved with in the past month. What had not been standard were the other unexpected attendees of the meeting.

Carth had been ushered into a large conference room by a young ensign. Most of the faces he'd recognized from various functions, but few he'd actually met. Admiral Boleeq was the first to address him. The man wasn't much older than Carth, but somehow looked younger. He held a hand out in greeting and said, "Captain Onasi, it's good to see you safe."

Carth shook the man's hand. "Thank you, Admiral," he replied as he glanced around the room at the others.

The Admiral extended an arm in invitation for Carth to take a seat at the rectangular table. The seat was in the middle of the table and closest to the door. Carth reluctantly accepted the chair and immediately felt somewhat vulnerable as all eyes focused on him.

Admiral Boleeq sat across from him and began the introductions. Starting at Carth's left, he said, "Captain I believe you may know some of the faces here today. But allow me to formally introduce Admiral Dodonna, Admiral Pasch, Senator Trae Storm, Minister of Defense Challaun, and Master Jedi Zez-Kai Ell."

Carth didn't like it one bit and fell into a well-honed habit of being on his guard. Sure he knew Dodonna; he flew under her command prior to being assigned to the _Endar Spire_. He'd known Boleeq for years. Admiral Pasch had pinned a medal on him once, but that was as close as he ever got to him. The Minister of Defense had been present at many victory celebrations at the end of the Mandalorian Wars. From the looks of him, the years had not treated him well. The man looked… tired. As for the Senator and the Jedi, Carth had never seen either of them before.

Admiral Pasch spoke up, "Captain, I'm sure you're aware that it's uncommon to have so many attendants to a mission debriefing. However, the situation at hand is of the utmost importance. Malak's forces have formed a blockade around Taris. He is presumably searching for any signs of Bastila Shan. It will only be a matter of time before he discovers her escape. In the meantime, we'd like to get a better understanding of the events surrounding the attack on the _Endar Spire_."

Carth hesitated. He wasn't sure why he bothered submitting reports when nobody seemed to read them. He said, "I'm not sure what else I can add that wasn't in my report. We were on our way to Taris to acquire a secondary synthesizer for the mess. There wasn't time to form all the details of the attack. Ensign Turcal informed me we came out of hyperspace in the midst of a Sith armada. They immediately blew out our shield generator. By the time I reached the bridge, we'd already lost life support in several sections. Our only course of action was to evacuate. However, soon after I issued the order, we were boarded.

"My first priority was to get Bastila to the escape pods. I stayed behind until all survivors made it to the pods. Myself and another crewmember escaped on the last pod just moments before the _Endar Spire_ exploded."

Carth paused at the memory of the final destruction of the capital ship. He shook his head. "I suppose it shouldn't be any surprise they destroyed the ship with their own men still on it. I mean, the streets of Taris were crawling with Sith Troopers at the time of the orbital attack." Carth recalled another time the Jedi leaders had sent their troops to their imminent deaths in the interest of victory. No, the forfeit of the Sith ground troops hadn't been surprising at all.

The Jedi asked, "And what of the survivors?"

Carth shook his head. "We were fortunate to land on one of the Upper City streets. We'd heard that some of the pods landed in the lower levels. The only other pods we found were in the Undercity." Carth paused again and steeled himself for his next admission. "The Undercity was infested with… creatures like I've never seen before. From what I could determine, those that survived the initial impact into the Undercity were soon after ravaged by the many creatures that dwelled there."

Carth didn't want to go into details about the rakghouls. He thought back to the transformation of Lieutenant Panos. It was best for the young man's family to believe he died in the crash. The reality was inconceivable.

Minister Challaun asked, "When you say 'we,' do you speak of the crewmember with you in the escape pod?"

Carth nodded. "Yes. Marin Sage."

Admiral Boleeq asked, "How did Bastila Shan manage to survive?"

"Many of the pods had been scavenged by members of a local gang. Bastila was found by one of them."

Admiral Pasch asked, "What happened after they found her?"

Carth shifted in his seat. He was certain Bastila would not want the intricate details of her enslavement made known to everyone. "She was their prisoner until we found a way to rescue her. Once we did, we worked on a plan to get off the planet. I'm sure you're aware the Sith had the planet under quarantine while they searched for her."

The Jedi said, "It's fortunate for her you were able to find her before the Sith did."

Carth nodded. "I've thought that many times myself."

Minister Challaun asked, "This crewmember who assisted you… she wasn't a soldier?"

"No, she was an advisor to the Jedi."

The Jedi spoke up, "Marin Sage was the advisor placed on the _Endar Spire_ at my request."

Carth glanced quickly at the man. Was he the Jedi Sage had talked about?

Admiral Pasch said, "Tell us of your escape off Taris, Captain."

Carth steeled himself for a long explanation. The events regarding their escape had gone by in a blur of activity. So much had happened that recounting it in his report had been taxing. Now here he was going through it all over again. "We had to break into the Sith base to retrieve the launch codes. Once those were in hand, a Mandalorian, of all people, led us to the estate of the local crime lord. We, uh, used his ship to escape."

Admiral Dodonna spoke for the first time. "Will that crime lord be able to attest to Bastila's escape?"

Carth tried not to look sheepish. "No." He wanted to avoid the entire ethical dispute on whether killing a man for his ship was within reason. Therefore, he quickly added, "The Sith started their bombardment just as we acquired the ship. We took out a handful of fighters on our way out, but otherwise remained undetected."

Dodonna asked, "You're sure it was the _Leviathan_ that led the attack?"

Carth was pleased to know someone had apparently read his report. "I'm certain."

Admiral Boleeq asked, "Why Dantooine?"

"It was Bastila's decision. She felt it was the closest safe harbor we could find," Carth explained.

Boleeq asked, "And you agreed with her?"

Carth sighed, "Not at first." The others waited for him to continue. "Sage agreed with Bastila. Over the events of the last month, I've come to respect her opinion."

The Senator, who had remained quiet and done nothing but study Carth the entire time asked, "Why?"

Carth considered the younger man for a moment. "Not only is she a skilled fighter, but she's highly intelligent. And if there's one thing I learned about her in all of this… she knows how to stay alive."

The meeting continued on until it had spanned several hours. The questions ranged from one extreme to the other. There had been discussion on ship protocol as to crew level access to outside communications on the _Endar Spire_. Carth made a point to mention the lack of sufficient escape pods for the whole crew. At first, Carth thought that was why Senator Storm had attended the debriefing. The only time he'd ever heard of the young Senator was with any mention of ships produced by his home planet during the Mandalorian War. But ever since the Jedi Civil War had started, Sienar Systems had stopped producing ships for the Republic. Carth doubted the Senator was there on behalf of Rendili.

Many other questions arose regarding his and Sage's activities on Taris. Carth supposed with only three survivors, there weren't any others to speak of. Therefore, Carth divulged the information on Sith quarantine practices and the procedures they had to go through to gain the access they had needed. A request was made to the Jedi on Dantooine to gain access to T3-M4 to possibly decipher Sith security protocols.

By the end of the meeting, Carth was ready to go. He realized he was the only member of Fleet personnel who could provide information regarding the attack on Taris, and for that reason alone he held his patience in check.

At the end of the meeting, an Ensign gave Carth the information regarding his accommodations. Carth had not found a permanent place of residence as of yet. It had been almost three years since the attack on Telos. In that time, Carth had gone from one mission to the next with no time between. It was better that way. He could stay focused. Downtime for Carth was something he dreaded. It only served as time to dwell and recall everything he'd lost. The last time he'd tried a temporary leave, he'd ended up at the bottom of too many bottles.

After getting a quick dinner at one of the vendors outside of Headquarters, Carth found his way to the partly vacated Fleet residence building. He remembered a time when the building adjacent to Headquarters was overflowing with activity. But resources were slim and personnel was not what it used to be. Whatever the case, he wouldn't be there for long. He expected to receive his new orders within the next two days. Then he would be able to continue his quest.

The door slid open to his newly appointed accommodations. A Captain in the Fleet didn't get the most upscale quarters within the Fleet center, but they at least had privacy. For that, Carth had been thankful.

He stepped into the gray interior of the room. It wasn't much more than a hotel room with the exception of the small kitchenette off to the right. He set his bag down on a high chair next to the counter. The common room was narrow and spanned the length of the left side of the space. There was a comm. center, a table with two chairs, couch, and holoset.

Carth walked to the far end of the room to peer out the half wall of windows. The floor he'd been assigned to wasn't high enough to have any kind of decent view of the city. The sun had begun to set, making the lights of the passing speeders more visible. He stood there for quite some time looking upon the busy city-planet. He looked down to where the city had already descended into darkness. The view was not all that different from the apartment they had occupied on Taris. Sure Coruscant seemed much better kept than Taris, but Carth had no doubt the Lower City and below would be quite similar. He had gained a whole new understanding while on Taris. The strife he witnessed on that planet would remain with him for a long time. He took a slow deep breath as he once again fought back the sadness and anger.

Carth turned away from the window and headed for the sleeping chamber. His footlocker had already been delivered and sat at the foot of the decent sized bunk. The room wasn't very large. The windows were too high to look out of. There was a refresher off to the right. Carth decided that would be the first thing he'd indulge in - a water shower.

After his shower, Carth sat on the couch in the common room and stared out at the passing lights. The room had become dark, but he made no move to illuminate it. He leaned his head onto the back of the couch and closed his eyes. The wait was always the hardest part.

* * *

Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell sat in one of the many meditation chambers within the Temple. He wanted to take time to mull over the events of the previous day's debriefing. He felt a pang of sympathy for the Captain. There sat a man who spoke fondly of the former Dark Lord. Sadly, he'd been the only person in attendance unaware of her true identity.

Admiral Pasch and Minister Challaun had been former allies of Revan's. They had been strong supporters during her campaign to join the war effort. Although their allegiance to the Republic had never been in question, speculation still formed as to how they had maintained their current positions while other colleagues had met less fortunate fates.

The most questionable attendee had most certainly been Senator Storm. Zez-Kai contemplated on how the Senator came to be in attendance at such a top level, as well as top secret, meeting. There were only a small amount of people who knew of the Jedi plan. Zez-Kai was quite certain the Senator was not among them. It had been no secret the entire Tion Sector had been left unmolested in the past three years. The Senator had insisted he'd had no involvement with the Dark Lord. Yet his planet had remained unscathed. Now it appeared the Senator was aware of the Jedi plot. And the only answer as to why he would be allowed to attend such a meeting was blackmail. Zez-Kai had no doubt the Senator was more than capable of it. The question now was how the knowledge had come to him in the first place. Oddly, the Jedi had sensed nothing but concern from the Senator during the meeting; concern mixed with an underlying fear. The best guess would be that perhaps the Senator's alliance was with Revan and not Malak.

Setting the events of the meeting aside, the Master concentrated on other thoughts that plagued his mind; his role in the events of the past year. He had strongly objected to the Council's decisions regarding Revan. Zez-Kai believed there was a possibility for rehabilitation. But many believed Revan had given up all her rights when she chose to oppose and later declare war against the Jedi. Of course, they had a point. But what good was a person's redemption if it wasn't their choice? The Jedi had not only turned into gamblers, but cheating ones at that.

At first the plan had been simple. Revan would be eased back into society, but under close supervision. Zez-Kai had made great efforts to be sure her initial welcome into the galaxy would go as smoothly as possible. The Master had no significant weakness for Revan. He'd had no attachment to her through any stage of her training. But to send a once great Jedi into the world with no bearing of who she was or what she had done didn't seem right. Therefore, he took it upon himself to be the one to insure her safe return to the world.

He'd taken her to Nar Shaddaa. It was a planet he was familiar with and he was fairly certain he could manipulate events in his favor there. He had an old friend that ran a medical facility in one of the quieter sections of the Lower City. Zez-Kai had been able to take Revan there with only the doctor and two members of his staff knowing. Of course, none knew who the unconscious patient was. To them, she'd been rescued when her ship crashed on nearby Ylesia.

They were all in for a treat when she woke up. The volatility of her emotions was understandable. She had no memory of who she was. And the amazing part had been when she'd shown no fear. Revan had been one of the few Jedi who had been trained from a very early age. The training had been ingrained into who she was. No amount of memory alterations could negate the fact that she still had the Force and was still able to use it on some subconscious level. Surprisingly, mental defenses were still in check. It made Zez-Kai question how effective the Jedi procedure would be on one such as her. It seemed to him there was a chance her mind was not as damaged as once thought. But such things were beyond his realm of expertise.

Not knowing the former Jedi Revan, Zez-Kai was able to look at the new individual as Marin Sage. Frankly, he liked her. By the end of her stay on Nar Shaddaa, she had the doctor and his staff working as efficiently as possible towards her recovery. At first the staff didn't appreciate the woman telling them how to do their jobs. But they soon discovered they all had the same goal in mind – to get her out of there.

Zez-Kai did his best not to answer any of the patient's questions. He simply handed her the datapad of facts approved by the Council to give vague hints of her new identity. It was meant as a subtle guide where she could fill in the blanks. If there was one thing Jek-Tal Roon had insisted on, it was that she would ultimately decide who she wanted to be. Zez-Kai agreed wholeheartedly.

Alas, things don't always go as originally planned. The Master had learned through years of experience that the Council will change their minds when they see fit. So when Marin Sage started to have memories that could lead them to Malak, all original plans were laid to waste. On the other hand, maybe Zez-Kai was never informed of the whole plan to begin with.

So that left her back in the hands of the Masters on Dantooine. She was out of his grasp. Why did he have an urge to protect her? He supposed it was because he thought he was the only one who cared. Sure Jek-Tal cared. But the younger man's reasoning was hardly objective. Zez-Kai felt the young Knight's attentions may do more harm than good… for both him and her. Unfortunately, it was the only hope the Master had left.

* * *

A dark figure sat alone at his desk in his crescent shaped office. The room's only light was that on his desk that illuminated the report he'd been studying. He'd worked long hours in the past year since Revan's fall. It was an event he should have expected, yet had oddly been blindsided by. In the wake of the change in Sith leadership, many people like himself were found to be scrambling to secure their positions and those they protected.

Though it was in the middle of the night, his trusted staff was still available. The right door of the room slid open and his Zeltron assistant stepped through. She'd always been a welcome sight. During the day, her fully-covered form was deceptively revealing. At night, there was no deception involved.

She sauntered over to where he sat and stood behind him. He leaned back in his seat as she placed her hands on his shoulders and glided them down over his chest. Bringing her luscious mouth close to his right ear, she murmured, "You have a message."

"Encrypted?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

"You mean you didn't come in here just to see me?" he asked coyly.

She brushed her lips along his ear and dipped her hands lower to play along his waistband. She said, "Come find me when you're done," before she slowly slid away.

He watched the graceful movement of her barely clothed form as she moved towards the exit and disappeared into the dark corridor beyond.

When the door slid shut, he tapped into his console to pull up the message. He entered his encryption algorithm to decode the message and then studied the contents. Once completed, he blinked with a quizzical expression and leaned back in his seat. "Dantooine?" he said to himself.

He contemplated the turn in events. The Jedi were smart to put her on Dantooine. There would be no way of containing her on Coruscant. Not to mention, chances were higher of her being recognized on the city-planet. He just couldn't imagine why the Jedi would take such a risk unless they thought there was a chance of defeating Malak. Sparing her life was the Jedi way. Rehabilitating her and training her in the Force was something much more.

Feeling his energy wane, he decided to set aside the intergalactic thoughts that had plagued his mind since first encountering the Jedi Revan. He rose from his seat and left to accept the invitation from the lovely Dalia.

* * *

It had been three days since Carth's return to Coruscant. He'd expected to receive his new orders in that time, but much to his disappointment, had not.

Carth sat in a café outside of Fleet Headquarters in the Upper City. The café was located on the edge of the Senate District. It had several tall narrow windows that faced an open walkway. It wasn't the quietest of places with the clang of utensils and serving dishes and the constant rumble of conversation emerging from the other tables. But he'd been hard pressed to find quiet places on Coruscant.

Carth had been mulling over yesterday's events from the newsnet feed at his table. The serving droid came by to collect the credits for the caffa and muja muffin he'd ordered. When he looked up at the droid, he noticed a woman sitting several tables away. He could only see the back of her, but she had shoulder-length black wavy hair. She wore a vest that looked exactly like the one Sage had worn when they escaped the _Endar Spire_. He dismissed her for a moment and returned his attention to the news feed.

After reading the same paragraph three times in a row without recalling a word of it, he looked up again. It was silly to think it could be her. She was on Dantooine. He took note of the woman's small frame and tried to concentrate on his reading again.

He detected movement in the distance and looked up in time to see the woman preparing to leave. He felt a tinge of apprehension, wanting to know for sure. If she would just turn to the side, he'd know. He had been back for a few days. It was possible things hadn't worked out for her and she could have left shortly after he did.

As the woman walked towards the door, her back remained towards Carth. The only time he thought he might catch a glimpse of her face, an Ithorian came between them and blocked Carth's view. He could still see the top of her head as she made her way for the exit.

He peered through the many windows of the café to track her course. She paused at the entrance, possibly deciding which way to go. Carth thought she might head in the opposite direction and found himself rising from his seat. Just as he fully stood, she turned towards him… and it wasn't her. The breath he found himself holding finally released.

Carth slowly sat down as the woman continued her walk past the window nearest him. But his eyes had drifted to an imaginary spot on the table. He sat unmoving for several long moments as he tried to understand his reaction. Why did his heart skip a beat when he thought it could be her? What was that feeling he felt when he found it wasn't her? What would he have done if it _had_ been her?

He decided those were all questions he did not want to know the answers to. Brushing it off as idle curiosity, he collected his things and left.

* * *

After leaving the café, Carth headed to Headquarters. He didn't have anything to do there, but it wouldn't hurt to check on the progress of his orders again. He supposed there was nothing worse for administrative personnel than a grounded pilot. He had nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Admiral Boleeq had no additional news for Carth. The Admiral said, "I'm sorry, Carth. You know our resources are stretched. With this last attack by Malak, we're in a holding pattern waiting for his next move. I want to take some time to figure out where you're needed the most. I know you've been chasing down the _Leviathan_, but there's no chance we can go near Taris right now."

Carth shook his head and asked, "How much longer?"

Boleeq sighed, "I don't have that answer."

Carth didn't understand. The Republic was just barely hanging on against Malak's forces and they were keeping one of their best starfighters grounded. Nevertheless, he left the Admiral's presence in a respectable manner.

In order to maintain some sort of sanity in the meantime, Carth needed to find something to keep him occupied. The Fleet offered an outstanding training center that would suit that purpose. It would also be the best thing to work out his mounting frustration.

The facility was located on the twenty-fifth floor of the residential center he had been assigned to. When he stepped off the lift, he headed to the reception to check in and select his program. He studied his options for a moment before selecting the melee program. It had always been his weakness, but his experiences on Taris had shown him it was time to work on it. Sage had actually been very compatible in combat. With her melee skills and his blaster, they'd proven to be a formidable team. But what would happen next time when he didn't have someone with her skills around?

He hadn't been paying attention when he stepped away from the counter. As he headed for the locker room, he heard a feminine voice, "Carth? I mean, Captain?"

Carth turned to see a woman who seemed to have been ready to check in as well. A pleasant smile formed on his face as he recognized her. "Lieutenant Tarrk, it's good to see you again."

Carth had known Lieutenant Aerena Tarrk since she was an Ensign. She had always been a pleasant person in the past. She was a tall woman just a few years younger than himself. She had her light brown hair pulled back and looked ready to start her training.

A sheepish smile formed on her kind face as she said, "Actually, it's Captain now."

Carth smiled. "That's great. Congratulations."

She nodded politely and said, "Thank you."

Carth didn't know what else to say to her and an awkward moment passed between them. She finally spoke again, "I'm surprised to see you on Coruscant. I would have thought you'd be out in the middle of all of the action."

_Me too_, he thought. "I just got back. I should be getting my new orders any day now. How about you, what are you doing now?"

"I'm waiting as well. I just received the official promotion and I'll get my orders soon," she explained.

Carth said sincerely, "I'm very happy for you. You deserve it."

"Well, I won't keep you. Will I see you on the range?" she asked.

Carth shook his head. "Not today. I'll be practicing the art of not cutting off my own arm."

The woman laughed and held out her hand, "Very well. It was good to see you again… Captain."

Carth shook her hand. "Same to you. Take care."

Carth turned and walked into the locker room. He couldn't help but feel a little better about his day. These days, seeing acquaintances was rather refreshing as it marked another battle they had all survived.


	26. Training Restrictions

Disclaimer: Some dialog contained within this chapter belongs to BioWare. The characters and the GFFA belong to Lucas Arts, BioWare, and/or Obsidian.

A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful betas, Lossefalme and Alexandra3. This story wouldn't be what it is without them.

* * *

The first light of dawn stretched across the Dantooine landscape. It went the same as almost every morning had for the past two weeks. Canderous and Zaalbar rose early to start scouting the area directly east of the Jedi Academy. They left through the southeast entrance and met their guide in the courtyard.

Shortly after the Jedi granted the Mandalorian and Wookiee permission to investigate the various reports of raiders throughout the countryside, the two met Jon, a widowed farmer who had just recently lost his young daughter when raiders attacked their farm and killed her. Jon had come to the Jedi to seek assistance, but was not happy with the lackluster response. The bereaved farmer reluctantly agreed to act as a guide for the two off-worlders if they would help him search out the Mandalorians responsible.

The first week had turned up little. Jon's fear of his two companions hindered their progress. But although he didn't understand the Wookiee, he grew to trust that he was safe in Zaalbar's company. Jon had as little interaction with Canderous as possible, however. And that was just fine with the soldier. All that mattered to the Mandalorian was that Jon knew where he was going.

It took a week into their search before Canderous was finally able to accept the company of what he considered a coward of a man. Jon had neither fought back nor defended himself or his child when the raiders had invaded his home. Canderous found such a lack of action shameful. It was actually through the words of an old Jedi by the name of Nemo that the soldier came to understand not all people are able to defend what is theirs. Of course it was Zaalbar's howling that finally made the Mandalorian agree to not verbally accost the man for his cowardice, but instead resort to simply not speaking to the farmer.

_Standing outside the Jedi enclave, Canderous snarled, "You can't tell me you wouldn't have fought back." What kind of man wouldn't have fought back?_

_Although the Mandalorian didn't understand everything the Wookiee said, he at least caught what he accepted as the important points. So when Zaalbar growled his response, Canderous said, "Of course he would have, but it would have been an honorable death. Not this…," he trailed off as he looked in Jon's direction in distaste._

_Zaalbar responded with a mournful groan._

"_Revenge? Hmph. Never had much use for it," Canderous huffed. Revenge was for those who could not accept their fates. Jon obviously knows he's at fault and is now trying to compensate by getting back at those that wronged him. But he didn't want to do it himself. What good was he?_

_The Wookiee roared his response._

_Canderous snapped back, "I'm not defending them, and I'm not defending him either. I don't care about him. Once he gets us to where we need to be, we're through with him."_

_The soldier ignored the triumphant grunt from the Wookiee. This wasn't anything different. All he'd agreed to was to quit talking to the farmer._

Since then, Canderous had to admit Jon had proven to be of some use. Though most inhabitants of the various dwellings they came upon hid from them when they came near, Jon had been able to speak to a few, and that had led them to their first encounter.

As they set off across the northern plain, their intention was to head further south towards an estate with vast grounds. They passed a few homes along the way, and as with the others, all remained unusually vacant; although, Canderous could still smell the aroma of morning breakfast. He scoffed at their attempts to hide. _Pathetic_.

As they approached the next farm, Canderous noticed Jon's attention wander towards the home. They had already seen the remains of Jon's house and it wasn't far from where they were. Out of the corner of his eye, Canderous detected movement. He whirled around with his blaster at the ready, repeating carbine spinning. He heard a small cry, a woman's cry come from the right corner of the house.

Jon held his hands up and yelled, "Wait!"

Canderous kept his gaze at his potential target, but nodded for Jon to proceed.

Jon kept his hands raised and walked slowly towards the source of the movement. He called out in a rather delicate voice, "Celia?" There was silence. He tried again. "Celia, it's me… Jon. It's okay, nobody here will hurt you."

Jon motioned without looking at Canderous to lower his weapon. Another display of his ineptitude in battle; Canderous raised a brow in amusement and kept his blaster steady.

When Jon was close enough to the building and stood within the Mandalorian's sights, the supposed Celia emerged from her hiding place and stood where she could see all three of the men near her home.

With a trembling voice, she asked, "Is it true, Jon? Is this Mandalorian here to help us?" Without receiving a response, she looked down in shame and stated, "The others, they think you've gone mad." What was that supposed to mean?

Jon replied softly, "I didn't believe it either until I witnessed it myself." He moved closer to the woman. "Celia, is everything all right? You're shaking." She was indeed shaking. But it wasn't an uncommon sight to be seen through the scope of Canderous' blaster.

The woman finally looked at Jon full on and pleaded, "Please, Jon, I know you don't care for Alan much, but I think he's in trouble. He left only twenty minutes ago saying he was going to the market. I… I watched him go. He went east instead." She reached out and grabbed Jon's wrist. "Oh Jon, please, can they help us?" she added, indicating Canderous and Zaalbar.

Helping her wasn't exactly what Canderous had in mind. They had other things to do besides chasing around the countryside for this woman's wayward husband. So the man went east, he shouldn't have to explain himself.

Jon stared down at the hand on his wrist, frozen in thought. He placed his other hand upon hers in what Canderous thought was a rather affectionate manner. Without letting go of her, he turned slightly and looked at the soldier in silent question. Canderous was just about to object when Zaalbar growled low behind him to the right. _For the honor of Mandalore, why did that woman insist on the Wookiee coming along?_ Against his better judgment, Canderous lowered his weapon and nodded in agreement.

The woman was visibly relieved, and spoke a few quieter words to Jon before the original party set off to the east.

The three quickened their pace in the direction the woman's husband had gone. It wasn't long before they came to a clearing and spotted a group of people. Canderous shooed his party behind a large boulder from one of the surrounding cliffs to better assess the situation. There appeared to be one Mandalorian with three Rodians surrounding an unarmed farmer – likely the husband in question. They were just close enough to hear what was being said.

The Mandalorian said, "You've been holding out on us again. Since you haven't given us enough money, I guess we're going to have to take it out of you piece by piece!"

Money? They were doing this for credits? Canderous rose to attack until the farmer's words stopped him in his tracks. "No! Please! Take my wife and children instead! Anything!"

A sharp gasp was heard to Canderous' right and he glanced over to see the look of horror on Jon's face. A shot fired and Jon didn't flinch as the other farmer fell dead to the ground.

While the Mandalorian laughed in the distance and proclaimed his intentions of finding said wife and children, Zaalbar reached into his bandoleer and pulled out three grenades, then handed them to Jon. Hopefully Jon was better at throwing than he was with a blaster. He'd already proven his lack of skill against another group three days before. Canderous nodded to Jon to toss the first adhesive grenade. As the grenade detonated to ensnare the Mandalorian and two of his men, Canderous and Zaalbar opened fire.

Canderous laid waste to the approaching Rodian while Zaalbar concentrated his shots on the Mandalorian. The adhesive gave way and Canderous called out for Jon to fire another. However, with their targets fast approaching, Jon's aim was way off - an amateur's mistake. Admitting defeat, the farmer cowered behind their refuge to wait it out.

Zaalbar remained vigilant and aimed perfect laser shots to the shoulder and knee of the heavily armored Mandalorian. Canderous took down the remaining Rodians with practiced ease before concentrating his efforts on his traitorous brethren, taking him down by repeated shots to the known weaknesses in the armor.

As the sound of blaster fire ended and the whine of Canderous' carbine came to a halt, Jon looked up in question to make sure all was well. The soldier scoffed at the helpless look and surveyed the scene.

The farmer slowly rose to peer out above the boulder and take in the carnage before him. Canderous had to give him credit: he didn't blanch quite as bad as he had three days ago after a similar battle. Of course, three days ago, Jon hadn't displayed the blind fury that was slowly building as he approached the fallen settler.

Jon seethed, "Wife and children?! Wife and children?" With those words, Jon kicked the already dead man in the ribs, yelling, "You no good son of a schutta! I knew you never deserved her!"

Obviously there was much more to the situation than Canderous cared to know. He left the man to his tirade, while Zaalbar pulled Jon away from his assault on the deceased. Canderous couldn't be sure, but he guessed they had found Alan.

The soldier and Zaalbar searched the raiders for any clues to whom they answered to. Canderous knew this one couldn't be the leader. He'd gone down too easy. The man's armor was left over from earlier in the war. There were few markings on it to prove his prior battles. He no doubt had fled before Malachor V. Canderous spit on the ground next to the man in disgust.

Jon still stood by the fallen farmer. He said in an even tone, "We can't leave him here."

Canderous looked up in question. The man was just beating a corpse and now he wanted to show proper respect?

Jon continued, "She'll need to mourn him properly."

Without question, Canderous and Zaalbar collected spare supplies and loaded the farmer's corpse into the back of the landspeeder left by the defeated raiders. Zaalbar took Jon in the speeder while Canderous followed on Alan's speeder bike.

When they approached the farm, Celia's face crumpled as she saw Zaalbar pull her dead husband from the speeder. Jon was immediately by her side to comfort her. She buried her face in Jon's chest and the two led Zaalbar inside the home.

Canderous' work was done, so he waited outside until Zaalbar and Jon emerged. Jon said, "I will stay with her. She… the children…" Unable to keep his voice even, he said no more – yet another display of weakness. Would this man ever get it together?

Zaalbar handed Jon a satchel found laying amongst the bodies, as well as a few possessions found on the leader that were presumably payment from Alan. Jon accepted the items, but froze when he spotted a locket. His hand trembled as he reached for it and he shook his head in disbelief. He nodded to them both, and returned inside the house.

Jon had mentioned to Zaalbar that he should take the landspeeder to help avoid suspicion from other potential raiders. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have. As Canderous and Zaalbar loaded into the vehicle, the soldier said, "Well big guy, looks like we're done for the day."

Zaalbar remained silent during their trip back to the enclave. The Wookiee could be solemn if he wanted. Canderous himself was pleased with the day's success.

* * *

Sage had agreed to join Bastila for a lecture on using stasis as a non-lethal advantage. The two women decided to meet prior to the session to work on setting the boundaries for their bond. Setting boundaries was quite important to Sage since she still hadn't formed a true trusting relationship with Bastila.

When they entered the training room, it was not completely empty as they'd anticipated. There was one lone occupant who appeared to be finishing up his meditation. He looked to be around the same age as Sage, and was tall with short brown hair. He wore blue robes, which told Sage he was not a Padawan. When he turned to see who had entered, she was struck by his handsome features and stunning blue eyes.

As soon as the man spotted them, he seemed to rush to grab his things. He quickly brushed past them muttering something unintelligible.

Sage watched his retreat while Bastila entered the room to make herself comfortable on the floor. When Sage finally joined her, she asked, "Who was that?"

"Hmm?" Bastila asked distractedly. "Oh, I'm not sure. I've not met him."

Sage looked back towards the door and said, "I might have to make a point of it."

Bastila huffed, "I do not see the point, really."

Sage smirked. "You wouldn't."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Bastila asked, affronted.

Sage rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bastila. That man was gorgeous and you didn't even notice."

The younger woman lifted her chin. "Jedi do not concern themselves with such matters."

Sage guffawed, "You can't be serious?"

Bastila raised a delicate brow. "I assure you I am. Need I remind you Jedi do not involve themselves in emotional attachments?"

Sage cocked a crooked smile. "Who said anything about emotions?"

Bastila sighed. "Jedi also learn to put aside their more… base instincts."

Sage looked at her skeptically. "Are you telling me Jedi don't have sex?"

The young Jedi shifted her weight. "It is in one's best interests to not divulge in sexual relations to better avoid the potential for attachments."

Sage shook her head. "Maybe you think it's in your best interests, but I _know_ it's not in mine."

"I expected as much."

The two were quiet a few more moments before Sage asked, "You mean to tell me that you don't even notice an attractive man?"

"I do not deny the man was attractive. However, it is not something I feel a need to concern myself with," Bastila explained. "You, on the other hand, appear to dwell on such matters to the point of distraction. It is exactly the reason Jedi avoid those particular situations."

Sage scoffed, "I don't dwell."

Now it was Bastila's turn to look skeptical. "And you didn't find yourself the least bit preoccupied with a certain soldier not too long ago."

Sage frowned. "I still got done what needed to be done. Isn't that the point?"

"Certainly you must agree that your… indiscretions impeded your efficiency in completing your tasks."

"Indiscretions?" Sage barked out in laughter. "Are you serious? The most I got out of him was a 'Be careful'," she scoffed, "Talk about safe sex."

Bastila laughed out loud. Sage feigned shock and said, "Wow, so you do laugh."

Bastila waved a hand dismissively. "Well of course I laugh."

Sage shrugged. "First time I've seen it."

Bastila straightened herself and pronounced, "Given the situation in the galaxy, one finds few things to laugh about."

Sage rolled her eyes. "Force, Bastila, you need to get laid more than I do."

Bastila said nothing in response as others began to filter into the training room, but Sage did notice a quirk at the corner of her lips. She had to admit, it was the first real conversation she and Bastila had had since they'd met.

* * *

Zhar Lestin was in session with his new apprentice, though she didn't like to be called as much. Today's lesson was in one of her favorite places, the apparatus room. It was imperative they spend time working her body into the physical condition it once had been. She'd been in captivity for nearly a year, and strenuous exercise had not been a top priority. It was fortunate that she felt the same way about her personal performance.

Today, however, she seemed a bit off. A few times she missed her mark and had to compensate by grasping a lower hold as she jumped between bars and ledges. Under normal circumstances, she would have tried it several times until she perfected the movement. But today she'd just continued on with little concern.

After watching a Force-propelled jump that sent her five meters further than she intended, Zhar got her attention and called her down. He had a suspicion as to what was bothering her. He feared the decision on what path to take as a Jedi weighed on her more than it should. As Revan, she had chosen the path of Consular and had proven a master at it in her own rite. She had the skills, and sometimes the temperament, for a Guardian, but her full potential could only be realized with the cultivation of her extraordinary strength in the Force. On the other hand, maybe they'd all be better off if she chose a different path this time. Whatever the case, the decision was hers and nobody had the right to steer her one way or the other.

Once she refreshed herself with some water and a cleansing with the Force, she settled herself in the middle of a mat on the floor. Zhar joined her and sat facing her. He started, "You're distracted."

"Give me some _real_ stuff to climb on and see how much I perk up," she retorted.

Zhar chuckled. She never gave up on trying to persuade him to let her out of the enclave. "I've told you before; there are dangers out there that would require you to fight. I fear that in the time we're given for you to learn your lightsaber techniques, breaking away to use a common sword would only hinder your progress."

She rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

He continued, "It's not only your performance today. Have you meditated?"

Sage sighed deeply. "Fine. Here's the problem. I've been looking over the different options for what _path_ I'm going to take. But I have some questions."

These questions were normally deferred to Dorak, but Zhar didn't seem to think Sage would be open to that. Instead, he spread his hands out in invitation, "Go on."

"Now, once I choose a path, my studies will shift to accommodate it, right?"

Master Zhar nodded his head and said, "That is correct."

"So if I choose the Consular, does that mean I'll have to study some with Master Vrook?" she asked.

With a bit of unease, Zhar thought multiple Masters may have been Revan's problem to begin with. But with the little amount of time they had to train her, a repeat of old mistakes was necessary. In a cautious tone, Zhar answered, "Master Vrook would set the course of your curriculum, yes."

Sage's expression was one of mild distaste as she contemplated this. "But will I have to actually have sessions with him?"

He explained, "Your case, as you know, is different than what is traditional within the Order. Ideally, you would be assigned one Master. But in the short time you and I have worked together, I find your progress to be quite demanding. Therefore, I will be relying on the other Jedi here at the academy to assist me. If you choose the path of Consular, that will require you to learn from both Masters Vrook and Dorak."

Sage sputtered, "_Dorak?"_

"_Master_ Dorak, yes." Zhar had heard Dorak's account of his latest encounter with Sage. She had been most forthcoming with her disagreement on his views of history. Oddly enough, her viewpoints seemed to have matured in the five or so years since he'd last been victim to her tirades. She had been defensive of the way he'd portrayed Revan and Malak; citing how future Jedi would be sadly misinformed if all they had to rely on for knowledge was his opinion. In the many years of being on Dantooine, Zhar found that not much could affect Dorak in a negative manner. But Revan had always been the exception.

Sage sighed resignedly, "I don't see how that's going to work."

Zhar detected the disappointment in her words. And in the two days she'd had to consider her options, her training results had been more erratic. There was discord between her and the other Masters. He couldn't fault Sage completely. After all, she had no memory of prior confrontations with the two men. For her, it was merely a faction of her personality. For Vrook and Dorak, it was justified contempt. Still, he couldn't necessarily deny her chosen path because of conflict with those who should be above past grievances.

"Allow me some time to meditate on this further. I suggest for you to do the same."

Sage gave him a skeptical look, but conceded nonetheless, "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."

She stood and gave a quick bow before turning to leave. Before she reached the door, Zhar called out to her, "Sage, have you considered the path of Sentinel?"

She turned to look at him with a pinched expression. "You mean like Bastila?"

Zhar nodded.

Sage paused a moment in thought and then, seeming to agree with what she already knew, she said definitively, "No."

* * *

After a few weeks on Dantooine, there was still only one area of the enclave Sage felt comfortable in – the landing area of the _Ebon Hawk_. There were several trees and sections of grass scattered throughout. Jedi ventured out to the open area on occasion, but Sage hadn't spoken with many of them. She'd tried, but the conversation most always drifted towards the impending doom to be inflicted by Malak and the Sith.

Some days, the area around the ship was rather quiet. Today was one of those days. In fact, the only other one around seemed to be Canderous, who was working on one of the landing struts that had taken a small amount of damage during their escape from Davik's estate. He paid her little mind while he worked and it was just as well.

She liked to take advantage of the quiet to have time to herself… to contemplate and practice her new skills without the constant scrutiny she would otherwise receive within the academy. She collected a small amount of stones and found an alcove along the outer wall of the landing bay. She settled into it while she practiced various forms of object manipulation.

Not a day had gone by over the past few weeks that she hadn't questioned her decision to stay with the Jedi. The past few months had been quite intense. Occasionally she thought of her life before the crash on Ylesia. All she had left of it were faint, unfamiliar images. What was more familiar were the feelings that came with them: pain, loss, heartache. It wasn't until coming to Dantooine that she'd given herself time to think about them. The others had said her nights were filled with fits of anguish, although she remembered nothing of her dreams.

It all made her curious about what she'd left behind, but more in a detached sort of way. In fact, starting a new life instead of searching for the old seemed preferable. For now, she ignored the nagging feeling, tried not to focus on the most prominent memory of loss, tried to look past that part of her that knew something was missing… or perhaps some_one_.

Regardless, the best choice of action was to finish her Jedi training, and get off of Dantooine. Because it was certainly only the training that kept her there. She'd been learning new things every day and it was quite exhilarating. She'd even seen merit in the code they lived by. But the Jedi themselves, the individuals, left much to be desired. Bastila shied away from her. Master Zhar was tolerable. Master Vandar was nice, but rather inaccessible. Master Vrook watched her as if she would explode at any moment and was quite rude to her any chance he got. Master Dorak was… infuriating. His selective version of history was considerably lacking. And all of them only seemed to want to talk about one thing: the dangers of falling to the dark side. Learn from Revan, they said. However, nobody could really give a valid reason for her fall. She sought to learn too fast beyond what they felt she was ready for. _Well what the hell are they doing now with me?_ Sage found herself thinking. The quick course to Jedi-dom. Not that she was complaining. As far as Sage was concerned, they couldn't give it to her fast enough.

She often thought about trying new things and expanding upon the Jedi's teachings. For instance, the stones in front of her were now spinning to make a circle in front of her. If she focused on one of those stones, could she make it into a projectile? She concentrated her efforts and selected one stone in the midst of the spinners. She wrapped the Force around it and sent it sailing. The stone shot to her right and hit the wall with a resounding clack.

She was pleased with the result, but wanted a little more control. She called the rock back into her collection. She selected another. This time focusing on the target of the tree she had fallen from a few weeks back. She sent the stone flying and it hit the tree with a thump.

She practiced a few more times with varying degrees of force and distance. After some time, she became bored of the little game and searched for a more amusing target. A slow, mischievous smile spread across her face as she spotted the prime target in the form of a backside currently facing her from the direction of the landing strut. Keeping her giddiness from anticipation in check, she once again focused on a rock amidst the foray in front of her and sent it darting toward the unsuspecting target. Smack!

Canderous let out a yell and retracted from the point of impact, causing him to shoot up and bang his head on the belly of the _Hawk_, which in turn caused another howl of pain. The spinning rocks dropped abruptly as Sage fell over in a fit of hysterical laughter.

The hulking Mandalorian slowly turned to face her, one hand rubbing his ass while the other soothed the spot where a knot would surely form on his head. Sage laughed even harder at his reddened face.

He growled, "What the hell did you do that for?"

Sage's laughter calmed and she said matter-of-factly, "I just needed some fun."

"Fun?" Canderous spat as if the word left an odd taste in his mouth.

Sage sighed, "Yeah, Ordo, fun. Most people indulge themselves. Unless, of course, you're a crusty old grump."

Canderous narrowed his eyes. "Don't you have somewhere better to be?"

She shrugged. "Don't you?"

He wiped his hands on a rag he pulled out of his belt and shook his head. "We're taking a few days off. He's mourning or something."

Sage was skeptical. "Zaalbar?"

"No, Jon. It doesn't matter. We'll start again soon. We took down another group two days ago," he said.

"That's good. Still no sign of the leader?" Sage replied.

"He's out there and we'll find him. Will you be able to join in the battle?"

Sage huffed, "Who knows… these Jedi aren't much on letting others in on their plans."

"Too bad, we could use someone good with a sword." Without another word, he turned back to his previous task.

Sage watched him for a moment with a slight frown. _Nope, not much fun. What happened to the fun guy? Oh yeah, he left._

* * *

Master Zhar spent a great deal of time contemplating the best course of action for Sage. The last thing he wanted to do was hinder her progress. She'd advanced at an amazing rate, but had lately hit a plateau. He had meditated for many hours to find the proper solution. However, much of what was shown to him in that time went against the Council's judgment. But in the face of his decision, he had no choice but to listen to the Force. Under normal circumstances, he would have performed Sage's training himself. However, her understandably rapid progress made the task too daunting for just one person in such a short time. Now he waited in the meditation chamber to proceed with the solution he had finally, though reluctantly, accepted.

"You wanted to see me?" Jek-Tal said at the doorway.

Zhar turned to face the younger Jedi. "Yes, please, won't you join me?"

The other man didn't respond at first, but then quietly moved to settle into a seat next to the Twi'lek.

They were quiet a few moments longer while Zhar searched for a way to begin. "First of all, let me begin by saying the Council appreciates your efforts, not only in the past few weeks, but also the past two years. Anything you have done in the past has been voluntary on your part. Therefore, it is with great reluctance that we ask any more of you.

"However, circumstances as they are, I feel you may be of great value to this mission if you feel you are able."

In an even tone, Jek-Tal asked, "What is it you are asking?"

"She would like to choose the path of Consular. However, in the short amount of time we have to train her, I alone would be unable to properly prepare her for that choice. She has had sessions with both Masters Dorak and Vrook."

Jek-Tal chuckled, "I bet they enjoyed that."

Zhar sighed. "They did not. And frankly, neither did she. My only hope is that there is something in her base personality that makes her clash with those two."

Jek-Tal stiffened. He seemed to want to say something, but then thought better of it. Zhar could only guess, but now was not the time for a discussion on Sage's mental state.

Zhar continued, "I'm afraid, Jek-Tal, that you may be the best qualified to assist me with her training."

Jek-Tal looked at him sharply and said, "You can't mean for me to teach her?"

Zhar nodded.

The younger Jedi stood abruptly and began to pace the room. "I haven't even spoken to her. Barely looked at her." He ran his fingers through his hair with a worried expression upon his face. He shook his head. "I… I'm not sure I'm ready for that. The thought of _me_ teaching _her_…"

Zhar knew it wouldn't be an easy decision for Jek-Tal. There was a great deal of history between him and Revan that Zhar himself wasn't fully aware of. And there weren't any guarantees Sage would respond any better to Jek-Tal than she had the other Masters on Dantooine. But the fact remained that including Jek-Tal in her training would be much simpler than bringing yet another Jedi into the fold of their plans. Not to mention Jek-Tal was more than qualified.

Zhar said, "Give it some thought. Meditate on it. Speak to her if you must. But I know you are a strong Jedi, Jek-Tal. You can do this."

Jek-Tal remained lost in his thoughts as Master Zhar departed.

* * *

Sage made her way down to the cafeteria in the lower levels of the enclave. Mission had been given a job to assist Ghur'lamou. It was unknown how long they would be on Dantooine and a job was the best way for Mission to spend her time. Sage hadn't seen much of the young girl since she'd gotten the job, however. When she walked in, Mission was wiping down a table.

"Hey, Mission."

Mission looked up and a huge smile spread across her face. "Sage! It's so good to see you."

Sage went over to the dispenser and helped herself to a cup of juice. "How's it going down here?" she asked.

"Really great. I even got to cook tonight," Mission exclaimed.

Sage lifted a brow and found a seat. "Really?"

Mission shrugged and looked a little sheepish. "Well… I just boiled noodles for the pashi."

"That's fantastic, Mission."

"It wasn't much." The young girl seemed suddenly modest over her accomplishment.

Sage reassured her, "Sure it was. Have you ever done anything like this before?"

Mission's eyes grew wider as she spoke. "No, I've never even really been in a kitchen before. Well, at least, not invited. But to actually learn how to use that stuff… it's a lot of fun."

Sage smiled softly. It was nice to see Mission enjoying herself. The girl grabbed her own juice and joined Sage at the table.

After taking a long sip, Mission said, "I did work some… for Gadon, you know. He did good by me. Nothing like Big Z or anything. But if we needed food or a quiet corner to crash in, he helped us out."

Gadon Thek was the gang leader on Taris who had been the key to rescuing Bastila. "How did you meet Gadon?"

"Through my brother. Griff ran a few jobs for Gadon a couple of years back. It didn't really pan out for either of them, so he moved on. But after Griff left, Gadon made sure nobody messed with me," Mission explained.

Sage wondered how often Mission had been alone _before_ Griff left.

"About Griff," Mission said. "I'm sorry for the way I acted before. It's just that when it comes to Lena I tend to get a little worked up."

Sage took another sip of her juice and asked, "What did she do to you?"

Mission began to explain, "My brother and me had a good thing going. Sure, Griff had his run-ins with the law on Taris. But we got by okay. Until Lena came and ruined everything.

"She was a dancer at the cantina where my brother used to go to play Pazaak. Griff could be a real smooth talker, and it wasn't long before the two of them were dating. But Lena was used to dating rich Tarisian nobles – guys with mountains of credits. Griff could never give her the kind of lifestyle she was used to, no matter how hard he worked."

"Did Lena dump him?" Sage asked.

Mission showed slight confusion when she said, "I thought Lena would brush Griff off when she saw how poor he was, but for some reason she stuck around." She shrugged as she added, "I guess she saw the potential for a big payday down the road."

Sage didn't think that seemed likely. "So what happened?"

"After they'd been together for a few months, Griff told me he was leaving Taris. He and Lena were going to try and make their fortune off-world." Mission stared at her cup as her voice became a little more uneasy. "He promised as soon as he made enough credits he'd come back and get me and we'd all live like royalty. That was two years ago – I haven't seen him since! I don't even know where he went!" She rubbed at an invisible spot on the cup.

Sage hadn't heard a good thing about Griff since she'd met Mission. "How is this Lena's fault?"

Mission huffed, "Oh, I know what happened! As soon as she got him off Taris, Lena sunk her claws into Griff but good! She twisted him around her little finger and made him forget all about me!"

Sage searched for something to say to comfort the girl. "Mission, I'd think it would take a lot more than a girlfriend for your brother to forget you."

Mission smiled, but otherwise didn't seem to find any solace in Sage's words. After a long silence, Mission said, "I know I'll probably never see Griff again. But part of the reason I came with you was the hope that I could find out what happened to my brother."

Sage thought for a moment. "We could see if either of us could get access to the holonet. Maybe we could find some record of where he is."

Mission waved a hand to brush it off, "Oh no, don't worry – I won't let my search for Griff get in the way of what you're doing."

"Don't worry about it, Mission. It couldn't hurt to look."

Sage got up to take her cup over to the cleaner. Mission followed.

"So how's the training going?" the young girl asked.

How many times had Sage heard those words in the past few weeks? She smirked and said in a wry tone, "You sound like the Masters."

Mission winced. "Sorry."

Sage shook her head. "It's fine. I'm just feeling a little cramped."

Mission furrowed her brow. "Why won't they let you out of the enclave?

Sage shrugged. "I can only guess they don't want me to lose my focus."

Mission just grunted, and stared tiredly at nothing in particular.

Sage patted her on the shoulder and said, "You probably need to get some sleep."

Mission's eyes re-focused and she announced, "I do. Ghur'lamou said she'll let me try cooking the gukked eggs in the morning."

Sage nodded and smiled, careful not to commit to trying said eggs.

* * *

It was late at night and Jek was on his way out of Aratech. Crattis had sent word that he had yet more information on Czerka and its operation on Kashyyyk. Every time Jek heard more on the corporation's business methods, he couldn't help but curse Revan for the deal she made with Pollard Seario in order to get Krishon's vote to finance the Jedi deployment into the Mandalorian Wars. The bribe was a small price for Seario to pay for the benefit of an alignment with the eventual Dark Lord of the Sith. However, according to Taren Quinn, it wasn't the last time Seario had to pay for something Revan wanted.

Taren Quinn… Jek had no doubt the information leaked to Trae Storm had come from Quinn. Jek didn't believe the brothers to have that close of a relationship, but if Quinn needed information, using Trae would have been his best option. The most obvious question was how Quinn found out. Jek gathered that Quinn was more of a supporter of Revan than the Sith. Therefore, he felt he could trust the other man to keep the information as confidential as possible. His only hope was that Quinn's source never fell into the hands of Malak.

Jek made his way over to a bench to enjoy the cool night air. He sat facing the freighter she had arrived in. She certainly had been on quite a journey. She never had liked Taris and the injustices it brought upon its people. He wondered how the planet's destruction would have affected her if she still had her memories. For that matter, how did it affect her without them? He knew he shouldn't care, but he had been subject to a show of humanity in her darkest time. He could only hope that the Jedi's actions in the past year had not stripped her of what she had left.

As of yet, Jek still felt uncertain about Zhar's request to assist in her training. His reluctance had little to do with the fact that they were once lovers, and more to do with their friendship. Wouldn't it be betrayal to follow along with this grand plan? He knew Vrook was a strong opponent to training her. Therefore, Jek understood the barriers involved if Vrook should train her. Jek didn't have a problem with her re-training, but his potential involvement in the overall duplicity felt deceitful to the woman he once loved.

The Jedi sensed movement from the top of the landing bay wall to the left of where the _Ebon Hawk _sat. With his hand on his lightsaber, he watched carefully as a dark figure descended from the wall and landed gracefully on the ground… where it immediately dropped to its backside with a curse. Stretching out with the Force, Jek recognized it as the woman of his prior thoughts. And she was not happy.

She remained on the ground and Jek could hear her mumbling something while she appeared to be studying her leg. She was hurt. _Damn!_ He'd made every attempt to avoid her over the past few weeks, and now it seemed he had little choice but to see what was wrong.

Jek rose from his seat and cautiously set towards her. It only took a couple of steps before she became aware of his presence. From the faint perimeter lighting, he saw her still her movements. As he came closer, he noticed the torn threads of her pants. Even closer, he saw the glistening of wet blood on the lower part of her right leg. What had she gotten herself into? Where had she been? It was common knowledge she had been confined to the enclave. But it was also no surprise she'd found a way out.

He could sense her apprehension as he approached. She certainly was in an odd predicament – jumping from a wall into a secure facility that she was not permitted to leave in the first place. Although, breaking and entering was commonplace where Revan was concerned.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Would you believe me if I said 'yes'?" she replied.

"Judging by the looks of that leg, no, I wouldn't."

She nodded in defeat.

"We need to get you to a Healer," Jek said.

She hesitated, "Well, I, um… I'd rather not. I have provisions on this ship. I should be able to handle it."

At closer look, he knew it would require more than a medpac to fix her up. He offered, "Let's start by getting you to that bench over there. We'll get a better idea of what we're dealing with in the light."

She stared at her leg. He imagined she really didn't like that option either. But he wasn't going to just leave her there, bleeding. "Can you walk on it?"

"I got this far," she said flatly. Then with great effort, she attempted to push up off the ground, favoring her left leg. She flashed him a strained smile before attempting to take a step forward. A noise came from low in her throat that sounded like a groan – perhaps a hidden one.

Jek stepped forward and cautiously held his hand close to her elbow. He knew better than to touch Revan uninvited. Something about her demeanor told him that hadn't changed. "May I help you?"

She wavered slightly as she considered the proffered arm. She nodded slightly and Jek took hold of her arm to help steady her.

He led her towards the bench he'd been sitting on, trying to keep the weight off her leg while also trying not to hold her too intimately. Once they were seated, he carefully guided her leg to rest on the bench for him to better examine it.

Jek narrowed his eyes as he looked at the torn flesh. "Do you mind me asking what happened?"

She hesitated and then let out an exasperated sigh. "Nobody told me there were crazed beasts with horns out there. This planet looked nearly uninhabited from space and now I know why."

Jek furrowed his brow. "Do you mean a kath hound did this to you?"

She shrugged. "It was dark, but I'm fairly certain it was about waist high and had sharp teeth. I was walking along, minding my own business and it came out of nowhere. I pulled out my blade, but it got hold of my leg before I had a chance to kill it. I heard more coming, so I took off. Fortunately I wasn't far from here."

"That seems rather unusual for them to attack unprovoked," Jek said as he tried to make sense of her damaged leg.

"I assure you, I didn't provoke it," she bit back.

Jek glanced up at her face. It was the first time he'd really looked at that face in over a year. She looked so much better without the veined pallor she'd hid under that hideous mask. She wore a defiant expression. "I think I can fix this, but we'll need to get it cleaned up."

She nodded towards the ship. "There's a medbay on the _Ebon Hawk_."

Well, that was convenient. He helped her stand. This time, she put her hand on his shoulder to help support her weight. She entered the security code and boarded the ship when the ramp lowered.

Jek had to admit it wasn't a bad ship. She pointed in the direction of the medbay through a common room. Once inside, he helped her onto the bed and she told him where everything was. He found the necessary supplies and began to clean the wound. If his movements hurt her, she wasn't letting on.

"So, exploring the Dantooine countryside at night?" he said lightly.

"Working on your report for the Masters?" she replied.

He smiled reassuringly. "I suppose this can stay between you and me."

She eyed him doubtfully, but then shrugged. "I got bored."

That wasn't a surprise. Revan had never really liked Dantooine to begin with. For her to be stuck inside the enclave was nearly torture in itself. Jek knew well enough that thought had crossed Vrook's mind when he'd made the decision to keep her isolated.

"And was there anything more interesting outside of these walls?" he asked.

She huffed, "Not really. I was able to find a cantina just north of here, but there were only three people in it – the bartender, and a man and a woman who were arguing the whole time. I told the bartender he at least needed to get holographic dancers, but he just looked at me like I was insane. It was fairly obvious I wasn't from around here. The other man there offered to rent me a speeder. Seeing as I'm sure he wasn't that woman's husband, I didn't really trust him. So I had two drinks and left.

"I guess the most interesting part of the evening would be when the four inch fangs stuck into my leg. It was at least the first time I got to use my blade in weeks." She paused as Jek dried up the last of the kolto and began to use the Force to heal the rest.

"Maybe you should have rented that speeder after all," Jek said.

With a wry smile, she said, "I wasn't supposed to be out. What was I going to do with a speeder?"

He nodded. "Good point." He concentrated his efforts on knitting the jagged edges of her skin back together. "I don't think there will be a scar," he said.

She shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first one if there was."

Jek noticed she was right. She had another scar further up on the leg he was tending to and another one above her wrist. There were certainly a few more in places he couldn't see. The Healers had attempted to heal the recent ones completely after her capture. But the impact from Malak's attack had been too damaging.

As Jek finished up, she didn't seem too impressed with his Jedi healing abilities. It was well-known throughout the Council that Bastila had not attempted healing while on Taris. Most people were usually intrigued with the process, but Revan just glanced at it like it was nothing new and said, "You're pretty good at that."

She gathered up her sword and asked, "Would you like a tour of the ship?"

Jek thought about the offer, but said, "Not tonight, thank you."

She shrugged and climbed off the table, testing her balance as she settled her weight on the injured leg. Satisfied, she led Jek out of the medbay and off the ship.

When they reached the courtyard before descending into the academy, Jek noted, "You said you were bored." She nodded shortly and he continued, "You don't find your training interesting?"

She was quiet for a long moment as she contemplated her answer. She glanced at him a few times as if unsure of whether to indulge him. Finally, she said, "Maybe 'bored' wasn't the right expression. I think 'stifled' is a bit more accurate."

"At least you're not stuck on a ship for the time being," Jek offered.

"At least then I'd have the freedom to have my own opinions, not to mention the ability to share and discuss them."

"You don't feel you have that here?" Jek asked.

"I'd say, for the most part, things are fairly black and white here," she said.

As she turned and left, Jek thought about her statement. Whatever approach was being used in her theoretical training, it was not working and probably never would. This was Revan. Did the Council honestly believe they'd be able to meld her completely into what they wanted? They should know better than that. But they didn't… and he did. Did he really have a choice in the decision to help re-train her?


	27. Inactivity on Coruscant

Disclaimer: The GFFA and many of the characters in this story belong to Lucas Arts, BioWare, and/or Obsidian._  
_

A/N: No promises. Many thanks to Lossefalme for the encouragement to continue.

* * *

_Carth wavered in and out of consciousness for a few moments. Faint voices could be heard humming through his mind. He slowly opened his eyes. His head felt like a lead weight and he wasn't sure he could move it. His eyes roamed the shelter he was in. He was uncertain of his environment and oddly not bothered by it. He recalled he'd been bitten by one of those beasts, but his concern faded with the dancing light from a candle off to his left. The light flickered faintly upon the flimsy walls of his dwelling._

_The voices had become stronger, but still unintelligible. His eyes moved slowly to the apparent entrance. The opening lit up as the makeshift door was pushed aside. A woman's figure appeared in the doorway, illuminated by the dim lights from outside that gave her an ethereal glow._

_Mesmerized, he watched her as she stepped into the light of the candle, the heavenly glow shifting from her form to illuminate her face. A sight that often times made him secretly smile, he sighed._ Beautiful.

_Something dropped from her hand and she moved closer to his prone form. He watched her kneel down by his side. She smiled wearily._

"_You came back," he said._

_She said something, but it didn't register. He studied the features of her face…the arch of her brow, the line of her jaw, the color of her lips. She leaned over him to examine his wound. She pulled back the patch and apologized if she hurt him. He didn't feel it. _

_He didn't care about the smudges on her face, the dampness of her clothes, or the odor that emerged from them. All he saw was how the light of the candle danced in her emerald eyes that were just inches from his._

_She replaced the patch with a fresh one and when she went to pull back, he grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked at him with a questioning look. He moved his hand to the back of her neck and gently pulled her forward to brush his lips against hers in a soft kiss._

"_I _was_ dreaming about you," he said as he laid his head back down. He smiled lazily and closed his eyes._ Beautiful.

Carth's eyes snapped open with a gasp, "I said that?" Lying on the bed in his sleeping chamber, he thought through the dream, "I really did, I didn't just kiss her then, I told her…" He paused to run through the once-lost memory again and then started into a fit of laughter. He laughed until his gut started to object. He wasn't sure what the best part was but he was especially relieved to actually remember the events of the night he contracted the rakghoul disease. Sage had told him about the kiss, but Carth couldn't help but be curious about it. He finally knew. And to admit that he'd had a dream about her… well, he'd had a few. He quickly recalled the time he woke with his hand in his pants and Sage standing next to him… watching. She must have thought – he erupted into another fit of laughter.

When his laughter finally subsided, he wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes. "Man, Onasi, if you're going to make a total fool out of yourself, make sure it's in front of someone you'll never see again." Again, memories of the feisty woman with the captivating eyes flit across his mind… and his smile slowly faded. He let out a regretful sigh that took all the humor with it. _Maybe in another life._

* * *

Another day had passed and Carth found himself in a cantina at the far west end of the Senate district. He wasn't in the best of moods. The downtime was never good for him. He didn't care to go exploring through the establishment that most surely would have games and dancers. As soon as he walked in, he found the perfect seat at the bar. It was darkest at that end closest to the door and his back would be to the wall.

He slid into the high-back stool and motioned for the bartender. He decided to get his night off to a head start and ordered a Corellian whiskey. When the bartender delivered the drink, Carth placed a credit chip on the bar and said, "Keep them coming." The bartender took the necessary credits and then left Carth alone.

Carth had grown increasingly agitated with the lack of progress by the Fleet to find another spot for him. However, given the current lull in battle, he would have thought it to be the perfect time to reposition troops.

He knew nobody on Coruscant. Of course there was Boleeq. He and the Admiral had been on better terms in days long gone. During the Mandalorian wars, the bonds formed with comrades were priceless. There were things those men knew about him that nobody else in the galaxy knew. But it was a brotherhood that Carth no longer sought – not since Saul.

Carth had been a Lieutenant and Saul his Admiral. Saul was one to spend spare time with the unit. It was one thing Carth had learned from him and had gone on to do with his own crew. Playing sabacc, drinking ale, and smoking cigarras had been some of his best memories from that war. And Saul had always been right there with them.

Familiar anger began to boil within Carth as the memories of betrayal swept through his thoughts. Saul had been more than a mentor; he'd been a friend and confidante. Saul used that in the vilest way imaginable. The man didn't deserve to live.

With his mood in a downward spiral, Carth emptied his glass quickly and set it down at the edge of the bar with a thud. The barkeep was good and the soldier didn't wait long for his next drink.

With any luck, he'd hit oblivion soon. Then he could go back to his quarters and pass out, the night nothing but a blur.

There weren't many people in the front part of the bar. He sat on the end and there were at least five seats down the length of the bar before the next patron, a Rhodian. The alien was sifting through his sidedeck in apparent preparation for his next match. In the periphery of Carth's vision, he watched as the Rhodian slid a card under a holster on his wrist.

Most of the action was further into the bar. Carth was sure he'd have to venture back there sooner or later to find the 'fresher, but for now, he'd wait as long as he could before breaking the seal.

Carth looked further down the bar to get a better judge of his immediate surroundings. His eyes swept the length and stopped cold on a patron at the far end… a Jedi. Not just any Jedi, but the one in his debriefing several days earlier. The other man seemed to be nursing a similar amber substance from a glass in his protective grip.

The Jedi looked up and made eye contact with Carth. His expression didn't change and he simply nodded a silent greeting. Carth did the same and turned his attention back to his own drink.

Seeing the Jedi reminded him of something the two men had in common; the association with Marin Sage. She'd said that she crashed and if he recalled correctly, the Jedi at the end of the bar may have been the one that rescued her. Despite himself, Carth couldn't help but be curious.

He detected movement from the far end. Without looking up, he knew it was the Jedi. Although he was curious about Sage, he really wasn't up for company. Therefore, he was relieved when the other man walked towards the back of the bar and disappeared among the other patrons.

Carth had slowed down his drinking. It had been unintentional, but he somehow felt a need to slow down until he knew the Jedi wouldn't be coming back. He wondered if the Jedi would play sabacc. But the idea was quickly rejected given their current location on the planet. A Jedi may find someone on the other side of the planet foolish enough to gamble with him, but not in the political atmosphere of the area between the Senate and the Temple.

It wasn't much longer before the Jedi returned. This time, he didn't return to his seat, but rather continued toward the exit… or more like towards Carth. The soldier stiffened when the Jedi took the seat next to him. Suddenly unsure of the man's intentions, Carth was instantly on his guard.

The Jedi held up his hands and said, "Fear not, Captain. The least you deserve for all that you've been through is for someone to buy you a drink. Please, I won't keep you."

Carth eased up a little and relaxed the rigidness that had developed in his spine. "Thank you, but it's really not necessary."

The other man pointed to the almost empty glass in front of Carth. "Corellian?"

Carth was about to confirm when he wisely decided to pace himself in the presence of the Jedi. "Actually I was just about to switch to ale."

The Jedi nodded and ordered two ales from the bartender when the man appeared.

Carth said, "I'm sorry, I didn't completely catch your name."

The Jedi held out his hand in greeting. "Zez-Kai Ell."

Carth shook it. The men were quiet until their drinks arrived. Carth lifted his mug and tipped it in thanks towards the Jedi.

After taking a long sip, he decided to ask the question he'd wondered about since meeting the man in the first place. "You said you were the one to request that Sage be placed on the _Endar Spire_?"

The other man nodded. "I was."

Carth waited for more, but the Jedi offered nothing. He asked, "Were you with her on Nar Shaddaa?"

"Yes."

Carth continued to prod, "So you're the one that pulled her from the wreckage?"

The Jedi's expression was un-readable as he seemed to think back. "She'd been badly hurt. She was admitted to a medical facility. After her recovery, I arranged for her assignment."

Carth thought for a moment over the opportunity to finally get the answers he'd been trying to dig out of Sage since he'd met her. "Do you know what happened? What caused the crash in the first place?"

The other man answered, "I can only assume she faced circumstances she had not been expecting."

Carth persisted, "There was no record of what caused the malfunction?"

The Jedi said, "Under separate conditions, we may have been able to find out more." Before Carth could ask more, the Jedi continued on a different path. "From what you've said, it seems she had skills that became quite helpful on your quest."

Carth chuckled, "She was a good fighter… no question. She even won the dueling ring championship while we were there."

The Jedi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" The other man furrowed his brow a moment before he asked, "Do they still allow death matches there?"

Carth stiffened at the question and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "They say they don't. But they did."

The Jedi studied Carth for a moment and then said, "I take it you didn't approve?"

Carth scoffed, "You would?"

The Jedi tilted his head to the side in concession. Carth knew it was the Jedi way to value life and therefore couldn't possibly condone a death match. Maybe Carth had finally found someone to agree with him on the matter. He went on to explain, "The man wouldn't accept any other way to fight. He'd only do a death match. Sage would've fought him like any other, but he refused." Carth paused and shook his head morosely. "I mean, the woman just didn't seem concerned that he could have killed her."

Carth was quiet for a moment as he replayed the duel in his mind. He recalled seeing Sage lying motionless on the dueling floor. Staring into his drink, he said quietly to himself, "He almost did." From the duel, his thoughts quickly turned to the events afterwards; how she fought through the Sith base with a hole in her side. In all the death they'd dealt to others, that had been the only time he truly feared for her life. The entire experience held so much turmoil within him that he still refused to bear the prize blaster.

Remembering his company, Carth looked up at the other man. He furrowed his brow at the sight of the Jedi staring at him with an odd look of surprise. The Jedi blinked and in an instant, his face turned back to its serene façade. The motion gave Carth pause and he was reminded of the many skills of Jedi. With that, he decided he'd said enough.

The two men sat quietly in their own thoughts. Carth decided the Jedi still hadn't told him anything he didn't already know. He asked, "Did Sage know what happened before her crash?"

The Jedi didn't answer right away as he considered his response. He simply said, "No."

Carth scoffed internally at the Jedi's lack of helpfulness. It was the Jedi art of giving an answer without an answer. He'd found Sage particularly adept at it as well and it drove him nuts. "I find that hard to believe."

The other man sat in continued silence and stared at his drink for answers. He took a deep breath and then said, "Captain, her injuries were quite severe. Because of them, she simply has no recollection of the events leading up to her awakening on Nar Shaddaa."

As Carth thought about it, he decided that might explain what he thought to be her unwillingness to tell him. Perhaps it had been an inability to tell him. It wasn't unusual though. Many people have short-term memory loss after major accidents. He recalled waking up in a medbay once and not being able to remember anything from two days before the battle.

The Jedi pushed aside his half-empty mug and rose from his seat. "Captain, it has been a pleasure."

Carth supposed it was getting late and a trip to the 'fresher was definitely a necessity. "Thanks for the drink, Master…"

The man smiled. "You can call me Zez-Kai. Maybe we'll meet again. May the Force be with you."

Carth watched as Zez-Kai walked out of the cantina and into the Coruscant night. The Jedi was different from others he'd met. Despite the typical lack of information offered by the other man, Carth liked him. The Jedi hadn't left him exposed.

Feeling the weight in his bladder, Carth decided to find his way through the cantina to the nearest 'fresher. He passed the sabacc and pazaak tables with only the slightest temptation. He glanced in at the dancers, but had little desire to stay and watch them. On his way back to his seat, he decided maybe it wasn't his night for forgetting after all.

* * *

Zez-Kai Ell began his journey back to the Temple. He'd had the most intriguing conversation with Captain Onasi. It wasn't what the soldier said as much as the fluctuating emotions rolling off of him.

When the Captain spoke of Revan and her participation in the death match, it had been with deep concern. It wasn't for the moral dilemma of the match, but for a sincere fear she wouldn't make it. It was only a flash and Zez-Kai would never take advantage of the man by delving deeper into his thoughts. But it was enough to show the Master that the Captain cared for her on some level.

He didn't know why he'd found it so surprising. In fact, thinking back to the soldier's words during the debriefing, he wasn't sure how he'd missed it. The Captain had a knack for clouding his emotions with negative thoughts and feelings. Though he spoke fondly of Revan through his words, his emotions portrayed nothing but mistrust and apprehension.

Zez-Kai would meditate on it further, but he felt with great confidence the Captain's role in the situation may not be at an end.

* * *

Carth had just returned from a morning workout when he noticed a message waiting for him on the comm. unit. It was an invitation to a group promotion party. Carth groaned as he read the details. _Only on Coruscant_.

Carth had been a Captain for quite some time. He was due for a promotion, but certainly didn't expect one. He'd been told his lack of trust in his commanding officers hindered his progression through the ranks. What did they expect? And he definitely wasn't going to kiss anyone's ass in order to get one either.

The time for the party was stated at 1900 hours. That gave Carth barely enough time to find all the missing pieces to his dress uniform. His original was lost with the _Endar Spire_ and he hadn't been in a hurry to replace it.

Several hours later and a few credits poorer, Carth started to dress for the engagement. He searched through his things to find a comfortable shirt to wear under his stiff dress shirt. He pulled out the first white one he found. However, when he shook out the wrinkles, he realized it wasn't his. He smiled when he held up the little white shirt he'd seen Sage wear so many times. He loved that shirt on her. Unsure of what to do with it and oddly unable to throw it away, he folded it neatly and placed it back among his things.

A quarter of an hour later, he headed to the edge of the Uscru District. He found the ballroom for the reception and found it already full. A sea of faces greeted him; many of whom he recognized, but couldn't place their names. Most anyone Carth would know were on assignment… where he should be. He slipped a finger under his constricting collar to try to loosen it and made his way to the bar.

After ordering his drink, he turned to observe the room. Some people had already found seats at the tables set aside for dinner. He took a sip of his drink and found the display listing everyone's assigned table.

When he finally found his table, he breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the familiar faces sitting at it. He slapped a blond man on the shoulder and said, "Bardak, how the hell are you?"

The man jumped up and took Carth's hand, shaking it fiercely, "Fleet! It's been too long. Where have you been?"

Carth smiled. "Anywhere I can find some action."

"Here, here," agreed Bardak, letting go of Carth's hand.

Bardak extended his arm towards the table. "I believe you know everyone here."

Carth took turns shaking the hands of men and women he'd served with over the past ten years. The last was the new captain, Aerena Tarrk, who offered him the empty seat next to her. He might not have known anyone else amongst the two hundred in attendance, but at least he knew the small group of ten at his table.

For the next hour, conversation flowed around the table to discuss the evening's events and who all was in attendance. Carth noticed Admirals Pasch and Boleeq. In times past, he probably would have greeted Boleeq straight away, but things change.

Soon, servers of every species appeared to bring the evening fare to everyone. The broiled nerfsteak was usually one of Carth's favorites. However, it wasn't cooked nearly as well as he preferred it. Nonetheless, he cut around the reddest areas and ate the rest.

Throughout dinner, Carth was informed of what everyone else had been up to. When his turn came, Baraga Synn asked, "So Onasi, where have you been?"

Carth couldn't really discuss the events of the past two months with anyone. The Republic had stated the _Endar Spire_ went down with no survivors. He supposed it was in a continued effort to stall Malak on his search for Bastila. But a crew manifest had not been published. All crewmembers families were notified privately, but since Carth had no family within contact, his fate had been left undisclosed. Instead, he repeated the same words Milo Tosh had said just moments before, "I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Tosh, who now worked in intelligence, winked at him from across the table. Come to think of it, Tosh probably knew the truth.

Lieutenant Synn then said, "Okay, Tarrk, time to give us your news."

Aerena Tarrk blushed when all eyes fell upon her. "Well, it's really not all that exciting. I just got my first orders as Captain."

Carth said, "Really, that's fantastic." He was truly happy for the woman, if not slightly jealous of everyone getting orders besides him.

If she could blush more, she did. "Thanks," she said quietly, eyes shifting to Carth.

"Where to?" Bardak asked.

"Manaan," she answered.

The rest of the table murmured their congratulations and moved on to the next person. Some dismissed themselves for drinks and mingling. Carth swiped a drink from a passing server before turning back to Tarrk. From what Carth understood, Manaan was a stressful post. It was a lot of glaring across lines, from what he'd heard. Tensions ran high with no action.

"When do you leave?" he asked.

"Two days from now," she replied. Then she hastily added, "I'm really looking forward to it."

"You should be," Carth reassured her. Anything had to be better than sitting around Coruscant. "Who will you be working under?"

"Commander Roland Wann. Do you know him?" she said.

Carth thought on it and shook his head. "I'm not sure I do." Actually, he had known a Wann before, but never liked the man. He wasn't a commander then, so hopefully it was a different person.

Scooting her chair closer to Carth, she continued on in hushed tones, "Apparently the last captain went AWOL just a few days ago. They need all the help they can get."

Carth nodded. He wondered briefly if 'AWOL' was an accurate prognosis for a Republic soldier sharing a floating city with Sith troopers. "Well, make sure to watch your back out there," he said.

She smiled a rather pleasant smile. She asked, "How have you been, Carth?"

He was a little caught off guard by the use of his first name. It's not that he minded; he'd just never heard Tarrk use it before. He shifted in his seat, gaining a little distance from her sudden closeness. "Good," was all he offered. After all, what was he going to say? The truth was way too much for casual conversation.

He heard her sigh as he looked around the ballroom. Then he felt a light touch at his elbow and almost jumped.

Tarrk asked, "Would it be too forward to ask you to dance?"

Carth stared. Dance? As he faltered, her confident expression seemed to fall and her smile faded. In a panic, Carth blurted out, "Sure… I mean… I haven't danced in a long time."

He stood up and looked down at her expectantly. Her smile reappeared and she grabbed his hand that had been resting at his side. She led them to the dance floor.

As Carth held one of her hands and rested the other on her hip, he wondered what he was doing. Dancing with Tarrk didn't seem right. Her shy glances and blushes at the table hinted that she may be attracted to him. And although he found her to be an attractive woman, his interest ended there. Before, he would have blamed his reluctance on the loss of his wife. But he had to admit that reason hadn't stopped him from lusting after Marin Sage.

It took him a moment to realize Tarrk was speaking to him. He leaned a little closer, implying he hadn't heard her rather than not paying attention. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

She spoke a little louder, "I said if you ever make it out to the Pyrshak system, I hope you'll stop by." She looked down and said a little quieter, "Maybe we could have dinner or something."

"Um… that would be nice."

She looked up and beamed at him. He was quite thankful when the song ended.

When they returned to the table, Carth decided to exchange Tarrk for some more comfortable company and went to find Bardak.

The commodore was exactly where Carth had hoped to find him – at the bar. Bardak was talking to Camasau when Carth approached. "…and that's why you need to get your big ass back on a ship," he was saying.

Camasau snorted, "And miss all the action on the ground? Never."

Camasau was a big man and barely fit into his uniform. He'd been a pilot in his younger days, but something about his species, though humanoid, made him grow larger every time Carth saw him. When he outgrew the confines of the cockpit, he took up ground forces to stay in the action. Carth couldn't help thinking of a bigger version of Canderous Ordo when looking at Camasau.

Bardak turned his focus on Carth. "So Onasi, when are you going to finally give in and take Tarrk up on her offer?"

Carth blinked. "What?"

Bardak smirked. "Come on, you can't tell me you didn't know she's been after you for a couple of years now."

Well, that confirmed it. And this new company didn't seem as comfortable as Carth had thought it would have been. Maybe the solitude of his quarters wasn't so bad after all. Carth took a long sip of his drink to think of how to answer.

In an apparent attempt to save Carth from responding, Camasau said, "Too bad about Taris, eh?"

Carth choked on his drink. In a raspy voice, he said, "Yeah, yeah it is."

Camasau continued, "The _Endar Spire_ was bad enough, but a whole planet…"

Carth shook his head. "I'm afraid it's nothing new," he added bitterly.

The mood between the three grew solemn. Finally Bardak spoke up, "Why don't we get out of here and find a real place to drink."

That sounded good to Carth. A good game of sabacc with little talk about the war was just what he needed.

* * *

Upon meditating over his conversations with the captain, Zez-Kai felt more strongly than ever about the man's continued involvement. Perhaps the captain would be an influence without a motive. He displayed the moral sense and objectivity that would be crucial for their success. Jek-Tal had the moral sense, but his objectivity was blatantly absent.

From this point on, there was little Zez-Kai would be able to do for her. She was most certainly in the hands of the four council members on Dantooine. And only one of them could be relied upon to show any compassion towards her. However, Zez-Kai knew that compassion only extended as far as her value.

Absorbing the information he had just received from the images of the Council displayed in front of him, he asked, "She is ready to venture forth?"

"Indeed. She has a few matters to attend to, but overall has displayed some semblance of usefulness," Vrook said stiffly.

"Might I suggest recalling Captain Onasi to pilot the Ebon Hawk?" Zez-Kai asked.

"Jek-Tal Roon is a respectable pilot," Vandar stated, though Zez-Kai knew that wasn't an option any of the Council favored.

"Captain Onasi was able to navigate the Ebon Hawk undetected while shooting their way through a Sith Armada. His experience is exactly what's needed for this mission," Zez-Kai said pointedly.

"Not to mention he already has the clearance," Zhar reminded them.

Vandar nodded his head in agreement. "If there are no objections, I will speak to Admiral Dodonna to make the necessary arrangements."

The transmission ended and Zez-Kai leaned back in his seat. There was nothing more he would do. The other members of the Council would not be persuaded against their current plan of action… not after what she'd found. _The puppet show has begun_.


End file.
